Future Lost
by Onar Toa of Hunger
Summary: Channel Chasers AU. A 1984-like FOP future. Set in the dismal future of Vicksdale, a resistance fights the evil dictator Victoria. They will find unlikely enemies and even more unlikely allies.  HIATUS! I am working on an original story atm :P
1. Chapter 1

"This is awesome!" a ten year-old wearing a pink hat zoomed passed floating pink boxes at lightning speed. He stopped then flew into one of the television set-shaped channel boxes. Instantly, he was transformed to fit the TV show's art style.

"Where are we, Timmy?" asked a green haired figure dressed as a butler.

Timmy smiled as the surroundings of the show came to view. They were standing in the library of a large old mansion. Outside, the sky was pitch black and a spotlight with a bird-shaped silhouette was flashing across the sky.

"We're in the world of Blackbird and Sparrow!" He exclaimed. He flicked back the head of a bust of Mozart and pressed a red button. The bookshelf lifted revealing a blue-green lit room with a mannequin the size of Timmy. On the mannequin was a crime fighting outfit.

Timmy removed the outfit and began dressing himself. "This costume gives my ten-year-old body extreme agility and strength." He said as he karate flipped his green-haired friend. "Best part is that no one knows who I am 'cause of the mask! I should've wished to live here years ago!" He settled into a chair.

Suddenly there was a boom and gray smoke filled the room. Once the smoke was clear, Timmy stood to face a muscular, tall man with a staff-wand dressed in fatigues. He had a chin the size of the Crimson Chin's.

"Jorgen Von Strangle, the toughest fairy in the universe?!" Timmy exclaimed in disbelief.

At that name, a third figure came to the group. She had pink hair and was dressed in a maid's outfit.

"Timmy Turner!" The man boomed in a thick Austrian accent.

"Yes?" Timmy meekly replied.

"Because of your carelessness, the human Vicky has gained control of the first remote!"

"Oh, no!" Timmy said. He turned to his two friends. They disappeared then reappeared floating before him. "I totally forgot about the one Vicky confiscated!" He held his head. "What do I do?"

"Make a wish! Make a wish!" chanted the green-haired man.

"Yeah," agreed the pink-haired one. "What part of 'fairy,' 'god,' and 'parents' are you not getting here?"

"Oh, right!" Timmy sheepishly grinned. "I wish-"

Jorgen grabbed Timmy's mouth and held it shut before he could finish the phrase. "Silence! The human Vicky has altered history through the channel National History making her supreme ruler of the world! And thus changing the future!"

"Aw, man!" Timmy turned to his fairies. "I wish she didn't do that!"

The tow fairies looked at their muscle-bound leader. "Jorgen?" asked the pink one hopefully.

"I'm sorry, Wanda. This is irreversible with our magic. Technically, Timmy, we never met."

"But I still know you guys and recognize you!" Timmy said desperately.

"You're in TV, sport." The pink one, Wanda, replied. "You're preserved as long as TV is still functioning."

"Then I'm not leaving!"

"Tough burritos!" Jorgen said. "Vicky's takeover has destroyed TV."

The green one floated away and stuck his head unto the show's TV set. "Oo, the color's leaving!"

"Cosmo, get away from there!" Wanda yanked her husband's head out of the TV by his ear.

"Wait. What?" Timmy poked his head out. Sure enough, all the colorful channels that he used to recognize were slowly turning gray with Vicky's influence. "Great. She ruined this plan, too."

"We must leave before the gray reaches this channel or we'll be trapped here forever!" The strong fairy boomed.

Timmy smiled . "I could live trapped in this show! I mean, it may become black and white, but it's still gonna stay the same!" He looked out again and saw that every channel that turned gray had Vicky's sick face plastered across the screen.

Tears now flowed freely as Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda looked at each other for what could be the last time. "I'll forget…"

Jorgen felt pity for Timmy. Things wouldn't be the same in Fairy World without his reckless attitude and happy-go-lucky mentality. Heck, because of Timmy, Jorgen had so many excuses to scramble the fairies. Now who _wouldn't _enjoy that? "I'll give you as many wishes as you want for as long as I can."

Timmy sniffed. "Rule-free?" he asked hopefully.

Jorgen frowned. "Don't push it."

"Think hard, sweetie." Wanda said to Timmy. "Who knows what will happen once you're out of the TV."

Timmy thought very hard. Material things wouldn't save him. Neither would superpowers. He strained hard and lasers flew from his eyes and scorched Cosmo's backside. "Okay, I still have heat vision. Good." He thought again. "I wish for…" Rarely did he wish for others. He only wished for himself. _Well, now things are gonna be different!_ "I wish for wisdom! I want to know how to defeat Vicky and restore order to the world."

Jorgen and the other two fairies looked at each other. Was this the same Timmy they knew? He wasn't wishing for weapons or powers, he was wishing for mental prowess.

"Awww," Cosmo sighed lovingly, "He's growing up!"

Jorgen raised his wand. "Okay I-"

"I'm not done!" Timmy halted the tough fairy. "I wish that I hadn't blown off school and I wish that I will go into this new world with a full education. No doubt Vicky's going to change the educational system. I also wish for truth and the ability to detect when someone is lying. Oh yeah, Leadership, too!"

Jorgen sighed. "Is that all?"

"One more thing. I wish that I could remember…all of this so that I know there is something better than the life I am about to live. And I wish that people could have hope in their hearts that the life their living will soon give way to a brighter age! I'm gonna fix this!"

"Oo, that's deep, Timmy." Cosmo said trying to sound cheerful. "Did you read that off a bumper sticker?"

"It is done!" Jorgen waved his staff above his head then slammed it on the ground. A large explosion followed and as soon as the sound and bright explosion died, Timmy realized he was no longer in TV, he was in Dimmsdale, or as a sign read, 'Vicksdale.' "Still forgot to wish for a world with no puns!" he slapped his forehead as the memories of 'Chimpsdale' flooded back.

He looked around and realized that the streets were deserted. The buildings were vacant and rundown.

Timmy ran. He looked as the houses of the rich, such as A.J. and Trixie Tang, were reduced to no more than rubble.

The trailer park where his friend Chester used to live now gone. Every trailer that was hitched there in the time he remembered was gone. In their place was a statue of Vicky (or Victoria as she was to be referred to in this time) Dictator-for-Life.

Timmy looked up at the sky. No longer was it blue, it was a dark gray because of clouds swirling above. Some black dots zoomed in the sky. One stopped then swooped to him.

With a scream, Timmy took off down the lane. As the device got closer to ground level, Timmy could distinguish more of the 'dots' features.

It was the size of a small television and had boosters strapped to its back. Between the body and the booster, the robot had tentacles waving menacingly as it zoomed to its target.

Timmy returned his attention to the street and where he was going. He looked as he passed where the arcade should've been. It was still there, but boarded up and wrapped in police tape. Spray painted across the top was the word 'condemned.'

School was also rundown, but apparently not forgotten for there were lights on and in one window he saw the silhouette of a class. He was unable to discern who exactly was in it.

He suddenly tripped over a bug and was sent sprawling into an alleyway. _Curse my un- coordination!_ Within moments the robot would be upon him. At the last second, a hand reached out from a trapdoor and pulled him underground. The welcomed sound of a large metal robot colliding with the pavement at high-speeds met his ears. He sighed happily then looked to his rescuer. He couldn't see who it was, but he could tell he or she was about his age.

"Shh." The figure whispered. "This way." The voice clued Timmy in to the fact that the rescuer was for sure female.

She grabbed his hand and led him through the passageways also known as the sewers. Instantly Timmy recalled the Dimmsdale sewer gator special that he never saw. He hoped that in this bleak future they were non-existent.

No such luck. There was a growl ahead followed by a splash or two, but the girl just kept going through the slosh like nothing was wrong.

"But the gators!" Timmy protested.

"Come now!" The voice was stern but melodic. "They're just my pets, the guard gators! Don't be such a baby!"

Timmy blushed. _Oops! Should've wished for bravery!_ He thought to himself as he inched passed the two gators and struggled not to pee himself.

There was a hiss and a creak. The girl was opening a secret hatch. Light painfully filtered into the sewers and, thus, into Timmy's eyes. "C'mon!" The girl jumped down, obviously used to her eyes adjusting to light so fast and then helped Timmy down.

Timmy rubbed his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in the Crocker Cave. But instead of his pictures nailed to the walls, Vicky's pictures were nailed the walls and lovingly adorned with darts, burn marks, bullet holes, and other things of kind.

"Wow."

"He's back." He girl said. She was standing behind Timmy.

From around a table, five children stood and went to greet them. Immediately Timmy recognized them as students from his school. More importantly, they were his friends.

Chester, A.J., Elmer, Sanjay, and Michael stood in front of him. They all looked the same except for the fact they looked hardy and cold and tired, but there was still a warm smile on their faces. It they were smiles of relief. Then Timmy looked at A.J. His friend was in a wheelchair. "What happened?" he asked.

"When you went missing," Chester answered. "Trixie decided to form a search party. We encountered some V-drones and he was shot in the back. He's paralyzed."

"For now" A.J. interupted in annoyance. "Head Nurse Veronica says that I'm expected to make a full recovery by Friday due to the Electro-treatment!"

"That's good to kno-wait, wait, wait! Back up! Did you say Trixie?"

"Yes." They all answered.

"She missed me?" Timmy was confused. From what he remembered Trixie had more care for an ant than for him.

He was playfully pushed from behind. "Of course I missed you, Captain!"

Timmy turned to see that his savior was non other than Trixie Tang. He looked at her. She was wearing gray fatigue pants and a light gray tank top. She had two gray bracers on her wrists and a gray headband. Despite the lack of makeup, she still looked amazing. "Wow." Timmy breathed.

"What?" She blushed.

Timmy shook himself to reality. "I don't remember anything…" he half-lied.

"The fiends!" Chester exploded. "They wiped his memory!"

Michael sat down in sadness. "Not good. Now what?" He looked up. "You were the greatest hero Shade's Resistance has ever seen!"

Trixie frowned. "What do you mean 'were?' He is still!" She poked the base of Timmy's skull hard. "There's no memory wipe. He'd have a hole here it they did." She linked his arm in hers. "I'll take him to where I know he'll remember!"

"Like a date?" smirked Sanjay.

"No, not like a date, you moron!"

But Sanjay didn't listen. He danced around the room foolishly all the while singing, "Date, date. Date, date. Trixie's going on a date with Tim! Date,date. Date, date!"

"I said 'it's not a date!"

Other workers of various ages that Timmy didn't recognize looked and laughed and 'ooh'ed.

Trixie pulled out a gun and, to Timmy's horror, blasted Sanjay's arm off. Sanjay stared stunned at his missing appendage but smiled at her as his arm grew back.

"Was that necessary?" he asked half-jokingly. "I mean it's okay to have feelings for Tim, we understand…" The others snickered.

"If you don't shut it, Sanjay, I swear I'll shoot you where it doesn't grow back!" She seemed to be on the verge of exploding, her face red with embarrassment.

Sanjay laughed again, but Chester silenced him. "I don't think she's joking, dude."

Sanjay stiffened then crossed his legs and put a book on his lap to shield himself.

Trixie's happy mood returned and her extreme blush died. "Follow me, Tim."

* * *

Twenty minutes later Trixie and Timmy were standing in front of where Timmy's house was supposed to be. Erected there was a large statue of Vicky in here dictator garb. "Remember yet?" she asked.

"Timmy shook his head. "Uh-uh,"

"Damn." Trixie muttered.

_Oh, never heard her curse before!_ Timmy thought. _Then again, she's never even touched me before either!_ He thought again as his 'tour guide' grabbed his arm and led him to another familiar place. It was the skate park. Or was supposed to be. It had become an obstacle course near them was a group of ninja-looking soldiers.

"Remember now?" She asked. "You were chosen to serve the Dictator from birth because of your warrior genes. Just like me. This is where we met."

"Vaguely." he replied. He felt something, like a nagging feeling. Sparse data entered his head, none of it connecting.

Trixie sighed. "One more stop."

She led him now to City Hall. "Wait here!" She disappeared in a nearby vent.

Timmy did as she instructed. As he waited he thought about what Trixie had called the 'Warrior's Genes' and why he had them. Why were they important?

"Come." his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Trixie calling him. Instantly, Timmy walked to the center pillar in the building. Unseen by him, Trixie smiled.

_He remembers!_ She thought happily.

On the large pillar was the portrait of Victoria and beneath it was a caption. It read 'Baby Sitter is Always Watching You.'

Unseen by either ten year-old, two stars, one pink and one green, floated to Timmy's head then disappeared on contact. Instantly Timmy's head was like an information highway frenzy. Everything came back. He remembered him being taken at a young age from his parents, who gave him up willingly, to be a Dark Soldier for Victoria. He remembered meeting Trixie. He remembered their escape and the joining of the Shade's Resistance. He remembered it all.

He collapsed under the unseen burden of having his brain sort, store and separate every memory from _both_ of his lives. Trixie helped her young captain steady himself.

"Trixie." he stated firmly. "I remember." In a fit of rage, Tim grabbed the edges of the large portrait and ripped it from the wall. This surprised Trixie for the portrait was glued to the wall and it was large. Great strength was required for this feat. Tim thought nothing of it at chucked it against a wall where it splintered into pieces.

Timmy looked grimly at the now-broken picture, Victoria's Cheshire cat smile was still grinning at Tim despite the rest of the picture lying in pieces. "That's what's gonna happen to her rule." He stated as if it was a fact set in stone.

A slow smile spread across Trixie's face as they left the building. Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You remembered! Yay!" Instantly both blushed then Trixie broke her embrace and the two looked at the ground, awkwardly shuffling their feet. "That never happened?" Trixie asked hopeful that news of her surprising release of emotion wouldn't reach the others at the base.

"Yeah, never happened, right. I'll sail with that." Tim stuttered and they stealthily made their way back to base.

* * *

A/N: Okay. This is my first fic so be nice. Constructive criticism more than welcome. This story I want to be kind of like

George Orwell's 1984 (A good read). Um, so It is a Tim/Trix pairing. If you're not into that, your loss... The clothing Trixie is

wearing is like the one she wore when she and Timmy, with Chip Skylark's voice, were in a play. Michael is a character

from FOP. In fairly odd baby, he's the kid that says he's lactose intolerant. He is seen wearing glasses and a white dress

shirt. He has short blond hair. And is seen when icecream is falling from the sky. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!


	2. Chapter 2

-2 months later-

"Duck!" eleven year-old Tim yelled out.

Trixie immediately heeded the warning and dropped to the ground. She heard the whizzing sound of two deadly buzz saws pass over her head. She rolled to the side and was next to Timmy in a flash, "Thanks, Tim!" She leveled a gun to one of the Dark Soldiers and fired. The laser ripped a hole in the man's chest.

"Hurck!" His black mask was slowly drenched in blood and he fell over. The battle was over.

Tim looked around at the bodies on the ground. He and Trixie had been sent out by Shade, the enigmatic leader of Shade's Resistance, to sabotage a new energy column that would've provided power for a city scan. If the scan had been completed, Victoria would have discovered the Resistance base in Vicksdale. The freedom fighters would've had only minutes to evacuate before Dark Soldiers and Ninjas would've been breaking down doors. In fact, the Resistance in Vicksdale was such a thorn in Victoria's side that she might have watched the raid personally.

Many argued that the scan should've been allowed. If Victoria did come to watch the running out of the Resistance's base, a well aimed sniper-shot would've taken her out for good. However, even more voted against that plan of attack due to the fact that the likelihood of Victoria personally overseeing a raid was very small.

Trixie and Tim climbed from the control centre they were located in to the roof of the column. As promised, A.J.'s stealth chopper was waiting for them. As soon as the two saboteurs were onboard, the pilot took the stealthy vehicle to the skies.

* * *

"Good job, Tim!" Chester high-fived his friend then turned back to his job. Chester was the Chief Mechanic in the Vicksdale Resistance branch. It was his job to make certain everything mechanical was running smoothly.

"What are you working on, Chester?" Trixie asked. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's a battle-armor suit employed by the Dark Soldiers over seas in EurAsia. They're made in the German Sector."

"So how'd you acquire one?" Tim asked.

Chester slyly smiled. "I have a friend overseas…" He replied mysteriously.

Trixie gave the blond a skeptical look. "Chloe?" she asked.

"Aww, how did you know?" he pouted as he slid back under the foot of the large mech.

"We know because you still haven't gotten over the fact that she's moved away. You got to let her go."

"Tim. Trixie," A. J.'s wheelchair appeared from another room. "You're wanted in the Briefing Room."

Tim and Trixie entered the large, rectangular room with A. J. tailing behind them.

"Uh, A. J…" Tim asked as he strained to make out is friend in the dark room. "What's going on?"

Suddenly a blue light filled the room. This light originated from one of the walls which turned out to be a telescreen. On the screen was a dark figure. His head was covered by a ski mask with only two lenses over his eyes to permit vision. . Other than those lenses, he was completely void of facial features.

"Timothy. Kristen." His voice boomed through the room.

It finally occurred who was speaking and both teens fell to their knees in amazement. The one speaking was none other than Shade himself.

The booming voice returned. "I wish to speak to them alone."

A. J. nodded and wheeled out of the room.

"I have watched both of you closely. I also know your secret, Timothy."

Trixie looked at her friend in the corner of her eye. _Secret? _Instantly ideas and fears clouded her brain. _Has he been working for Victoria the whole time? _Her thoughts were interrupted when Shade spoke.

"They will not believe if you tell them." He said.

Trixie realized that Tim had asked Shade a question, but she was so immersed in her thoughts at the time, she didn't catch it.

"I am sending you on a mission to retrieve a chair that is able to project what the mind has stored. The information in your head should be able to help us progress with taking Vicky down for good!" Shade said.

Tim and Trixie glanced at each other. No one ever called the self-proclaimed dictator 'Vicky.'

Tim looked back at the screen and nodded. "Right. Where is it?" He asked firmly as if speaking to an equal.

"The chair is located at a Ninja training facility. You, Kristen, and the benefactor of the mission must use utmost stealth to get in and out without being seen."

"Wait. Hold up. The benefactor is coming with us? As in the guy who paid for this mission?"

Shade nodded. "Despite what you think, he is quite young and I assure you he will be of use to you." The screen fizzled out and Shade's formidable image disappeared, taking the blue light with it.

Tim and Trixie were once again plunged into darkness for a few seconds. "You alright?" Tim asked her.

Trixie sighed. "Yeah, why?"

"You didn't say a word during that meeting."

"This is my first time meeting with Shade, and also your first time, too. And he mentioned a secret?" She peered through the darkness trying to see his face, but failing. "What was that about?"

This time Tim sighed. "You remember how two months ago I didn't remember anything?" he asked her slowly.

"Yeah."

"Well, I've tried to tell you, I may remember what 'I've' done, but that wasn't me, per say."

Trixie scrunched up her nose. "What the heck's that supposed to mean?"

Light entered the room, this time from an opening door where A. J. was waiting for them.

"If the chair does what Shade said it should, you'll see." Tim and Trixie exited the room hand in hand.

"Wow, a couple minutes in the briefing room and you two have hooked up?" Michael laughed from his desk. "I should ask Kaytlin to come with me the next time I get to be briefed about a mission!"

Tim and Trixie released each other and blushed. "Is there a reason you're here?" Trixie asked the laughing boy.

"Ha ha, yeah. There's some snotty rich-looking kid outside saying he wants to speak with you two. Claims to be Shade's benefactor. Whatever that means." Michael turned back to the rock on his desk and continued to clean the dirt from what could be a priceless gem.

Trixie looked through the window and saw a teen about fifteen standing, apparently inspecting the weapons housed in that room. He turned to the window and her heart skipped a beat. _My goodness! He's hot!_

"Let's go." Tim dragged Trixie through the door. "Hello, uh."

The teen stuck his hand out and brushed his hair back with his other hand. "Remington. Remigton Buxaplenty." He said. "But you can call me Remy."

"Remington…" Tim shook Remy's hand as he said the name. "Sounds fancy."

"No seriously, call me Remy." The blond pleaded seriously. He was wearing a white tuxedo. "And you are?"

"I'm Kristen Tang, but you can call me hottie, er, I mean Trixie!" She blushed as he shook her hand.

"Sure, Hottie." He smiled. Then he turned back to Tim. "Your name? Shade told me to come here but didn't mention your names."

"Timothy Turner."

"Timothy Turner? As in 'Timothy Xerxes Turner?"  
"Uh, yeah? Why?"

The fifteen-year-olds mouth dropped in disbelief. "You're like a legend in Shade's Resistance! 'The 11 year old boy wonder!' is what they call you where I'm from."

"Where are you from?" Trixie asked him.

"EurAsia, Sector 4." He replied. Then he looked Tim up and down. "You are much shorted than I imagined."

Tim blushed. "Yeah, I get that a lot," He replied quietly. "Look can we just go?"

* * *

Tim, Trixie, and Remy were high above Vicksdale in Remy's private jet. The Buxaplenty family paid Victoria huge sums of money each moth to remain 'off the radar.' As long as they didn't openly side with Shade's Resistance or any other clandestine operation, Victoria would let them live in peace. Thus, when Remy flew his jet over the training facility, the V-Drones thought nothing of it.

According to the plan Remy had been given, Tim and Trixie were to parachute from the plane to the drop-zone. The D-Z was located just above security devices and fields and just below the storage area the chair was being held.

Remy would, after dropping them off, continue flying till he reached the designated landing-zone, a deserted bunker.

"Ready?" The rich teen asked his passengers.

Tim nodded as he placed his goggles on his face. He and Trixe grabbed hands then on the count of three, jumped.

Remy watched their rapid descent. It was night time which meant the stealth suits supplied would work their best due to the fact there was less light to bend, but the searchlights would always be on and sweeping the grounds. Remy prayed they would remember to open their chutes after the tall guard towers.

They did and Remy breathed a sigh of relief. "I sure with I could join them," He spoke to himself, "But my parents just can't accept the fact that I'm part of the Resistance. It's already dangerous enough for me to supply them." He took his private jet around and landed at the designated sight.

* * *

"Pilot R, this is Retriever 002, do you copy?" Tim whispered into the hands-free walkie-talkie.

Remy's voice came through crystal clear in both his and Trixie's earbuds. "This is Pilot R replying to Retriever 002, I copy loud and clear. Over and out."

"Sweet." Trixie turned to Tim. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get the chair, the sooner I discover your secrets!" She gave him a mischievous smile.

Tim smiled back. "It'll be good to prove that I'm two people and not just crazy."

"You'll still be crazy to me." Trixie replied as the two stopped at a duct.

Tim chuckled. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not." He removed an acetylene torch and melted the top edges of the duct's vent.

"My turn." Trixie spit in the palms of her gloves then, firmly placing both hands on the edge of the now-broken vent, ripped the vent from the wall.

"Next time the lid to the pickle jar is stuck, I'll call you…" Tim crawled into small opening and led Trixie down the right path to the only vent not security stopped. He pointed through grill. "There it is. The chair…" In the center of the room was a small chair that looked like a small stool with a hair drying attachment. Tim pointed to the corner. "Two guards over there. Who knows, there may be more in the room we can't see."

"Not now," Trixie unveiled a small flying camera. "Go, lil' buddy." She threw it between the grill and used her wrist communicator to pilot the small craft. "There's three more. That's a total of five. The two we saw in the corner. There are two directly beneath us. And there is one in a turret on the ceiling. No doubt it's a gattling gun. I can take it out with this guy's self-destruct mode."

Tim couldn't help but grin. "Going all James Bond on me, are you?" He asked jokingly.

"Who?" Trixie flashed him a confused look.

"Oh, right." _Stupid alternate memories._ He thought. "Let's go. Take the gunner out first. The two below us can be killed by just falling on them. I'll take out the other two then while you get the chair."

"Roger." She put a hand to her ear to relay the plan to Remy as Tim readied his pulse gun.

He had to readjust the nozzle again. The heat and pressure of firing a pulse gun would often off-set the nozzle after every clip, making reloading a pain for most soldiers.

"Ready?" he asked.

Trxie primed her pistol. Trixie preferred old-fashioned projectiles to the modern-tech energy-based guns. This was due to the fact that projectiles ripped through almost any type of armor including energy shields. There was an explosion and the two watched as the tower that housed the gunner toppled in a fiery heap of twisted metal. "Ready."

Tim kicked the vent down and the two eleven-year-olds fell twenty feet and landed on the two Security Soldiers below them. Tim braced for impact and heard a crack, but he felt nothing. _Gee, that didn't hurt at all!_ He thought. Then he looked down to see that the Security Soldier he landed on had a broken neck. "Dodge!" he hissed.

Seconds after the two infiltrators jumped to the side, two laser beams hissed to the spot they had been standing. "Stealth packaging activated." The AI in Tim's suit told him. _Finally!_ "Trixie, go!" He told his partner through the radio. He held his pulse gun up to his eye and pulled the trigger. Dead shot. _The pulse guns may have some major setbacks, but its totally worth it to see the pulse energy bore a hole though your target. _He sighed affectionately at his gun then made his move to kill the next soldier.

* * *

Remy sighed as he listened through the radio to the exciting fight that he was missing. "Stupid parents." He holstered and un-holstered his Silver-Bullet hold-out pistol. He was a great shot and he…_Aw forget it Remy…_ Then he saw in the corner of his eye a kid no older than himself staggering to his plane. Remy looked around and seeing no one, exited the cockpit. "Hey, hey kid? You okay?" he asked.

The kid looked at Remy, his eyes showed sadness and pain.

Getting closer, Remy realized he was carrying a box. "Don't worry, I got'cha." Remy helped the kid to the jet. "What's your name?" he asked.

The boy coughed. "My name is Dark Soldier 030."

Remy sighed. "No, not your designation. Your name. Like my name Remy. Yours?"

"Dark Soldier 030." The boy replied in automated fashion.

Remy fought back tears. This kid was born with a name and Victoria's program had stolen it from him. "C'mon, kid. Name, name, name!" He yelled into the kid's ear.

The boy strained. "Ga-Gary…" Then he collapsed on the floor of the jet and his box fell from his hands to the ground.

Remy felt for a pulse and nodded when he found the beat of life. "Good job, kid."

* * *

The chair was in Trixie's hands and she and Tim were running from the base. All the way Tim had been trying to contact their ride, but Remy was not answering. Fearing the worst, the two thieves were now bolting for the L-Z. They finally arrived to see Remy helping and unconscious boy into a chair.

"Great timing for you to be AFK, man!" Trixie yelled as she stashed her item in the back of the jet.

"Sorry, but this kid needed help!" Remy defended himself as he climbed into the pilot's chair and the plane took off.

Tim looked at the kid slumped in the chair behind him and gasped. "Jeez!"

"What?" Trixie looked at the kid. "You know him?" she asked. "He's from the Academy. Maybe when we were younger…"

"Er, nothing." Tim waved her off the subject. _That was Gary! But what's he doing in this future? He was dreamt up by me…Then brought to life by Cosmo and Wanda! Of course, in this world, he's my brother!_ He slid back in his chair to be jolted up as the jet sharply turned to the side.

"Hey!" Trixie asked. "What gives?"

"I'm sorry, but there's a Resistance air fight! Damn!" Tim strapped in the copilot's chair and Trixie ran to the rear gun turret for insurance. The V-Drones were not supposed to fire at the Buxaplenty's, their aim was never quite stellar.

Tim saw Remy jerk the yolk of the plane to the right then flicked a switch. Panels moved and shifted to reveal newer panels. "What's this?" he asked.

"A hot attack system." Remy replied grimly.

"'Hot?'" Tim asked.

"Illegal, stolen, contraband. I installed it a couple summers ago. Now, when I say to, hit the button that says 'ST.'"

"ST. Got it." Tim's finger wavered over the said button in sweaty anticipation.

"NOW!"

Tim punched the button like his life depended on it. At his life probably did. Instantly, the cockpit was closed off by a blast shield and everything went dark and silent.

"Stealth mode activated." The jet's computer informed all occupants.

"This is no private jet!" Tim screamed. "It's an illegal Attack Force 9!"

"Uh, duh." Remy replied.

"This is illegal!"

Remy chuckled, "He he, yah…and being apart of Shade's Resistance isn't?"

"Riight." Tim settled back in the copilot's chair.

"Now that they have no clue that this is a Buxaplenty, we can help out the Resistance!"  
"Ion signature?" Tim asked.

Remy shut his head. "Cut off. I give out a fake Ion Sig. every day I fly my baby. I stole the Ion Sig. from my other jet that I don't use often. Now quiet down, strap in, and grab a joystick. This is gonna get good!"


	3. Chapter 3

Remy smiled sadistically as his forward-mounted beam cannons ripped through another squad of V-Drones. They had been in the battle for ten minutes and the end was already in sight.

"Only six more squads to go!" reported Trixie from her spot at the rear turret. Two Resistance fighters soared by, guns blazing. She laughed as the light from the resulting explosions died down. "Make that three!"

Tim was based in a sperry-ball gun turret on the belly of Remy's assault craft. Any V-Drone foolish enough to try and attack from below was riddled with a score of bullets. This came at a cost, though, he was running out of ammunition and would soon have to resort to the basic cannon. The laser fired from the basic cannon was prone to overheating and also happened to be the weakest weapon installed on the plane. _Three squads to go, _he thought to himself. _That's okay. I can make it!_ He shot down two more V-Drones and smiled as they spiraled to the ground in smoke.

Remy's hands shook from the adrenaline pumping in his veins. "This is living!" He shouted as he flew trough the fiery remains of two more V-Drones fallen victim to the forward-mounted cannons.

Tim looked down and used to zoom-in function on the turret to see al the least eight more squads flying in low. They were heading straight for the Resistance dog fight about to end. "Remy!" he spoke into his communicator, "Eight more squads heading towards us."

"Crap." Remy checked his plane's radar. Tim was right. He checked the plane's vitals. Tim was running low on ammunition, the ship itself was depleted of its energy shields, and to top it off, they were low on electricity. "This is not good."

"What?" Trixie asked. "We can take 'em. Just call some of the R-fighters to follow us and take them out."

"The plane needs to charge, though." Remy told her. "I have enough energy for thirty minutes then my reserves kick in."

"How long do the reserves last?" Tim asked as he fired long-shots at the approaching wave.

"Approximately five minutes." Remy replied. "It is normal fuel so it burns much faster than Electro or Pulse Liquid." He banked to the right then sighed. "I'm sorry, but I gotta take her to base." He set the course for the main base.

"No!" Trixie shouted. But Remy had already started the transit and had taken his earbuds out. She bolted from her seat to the cockpit in record time, but was still too slow. "Remy! Are you trying to kill us all?" She demanded as she returned the plane off autopilot then jerked the yolk forward to nosedive the plane.

"What do you mean?" he asked as the ground got closer. "It seems that's your agenda right now!" He made a futile attempt to regain control of his ship.

"You'll lead Victoria to the base! Moron." Trixie slapped the back of his head then righted the plane. The craft skimmed just feet from the ground. Remy tried to see the logic in what she did. Then he heard an explosion followed by another. He looked at the screen showing his tail and saw a rain of V-Drones slamming into the deserted streets of Vicksdale. They had had no time to recalibrate their course.

"Uh, guy?" Tim's unsure voice came over the intercom. "The ground is lookin' kinda scary this close!"

"There's an even better way to get home." Remy checked the radar and the ground radar. When certain no one and nothing would record or see, he hit the ST button and the blast shield retracted, the lights went back on, and the Attack Force 9 reverted to its inconspicuous private jet disguise.

"Whew!" Remy wiped his brow.

Tim exited the Sperry-ball gun turret. In the jet-mode, the turret was stored between the cabin and the cockpit. He grinned as he sat back in the copilot's chair. "I have good new and bad news."

"Good news?" Remy asked.

"We kick ass!" The two boys exchanged high-fives.

"And the bad news?" Remy asked.

"You're almost out of armor-piercing rounds!" Tim laughed and Remy joined him.

Trixie crossed her arms as she watched the two boys laughing and exchanging their 'guess how I shot this guy down,' and 'I still think I got more kills than you!' stories. "Boys…" She sighed. "Uh, base in sight!" She said aloud.

"She's right." Remy pointed at the area that was the main hub of Resistance activity in Vicksdale. "Let me take her down."

* * *

Chester and A. J., now on crutches, approached Remy's private jet. "Sweet." Chester purred as his hands ran along the smooth metal plating of the jet.

"Can I help you?" Remy asked the young mechanic.

"Oh, yeah! Is there anything I can do your you gal, here?"

Remy cocked one eyebrow, but nodded. "Yeah, it needs to be recharged."

"She." Chester corrected.

"Huh?"

"She needs to be recharged." Then Chester turned back to the large machine. "Isn't that right, girl? Yes you do. Oh, you're a special one!"

"Uh, dude, calm down. It's just a private jet!" Remy sighed.

"This? A private jet? Either you're stupid or just trying to lie to me about your plane. If you are trying to lie to me about your plane, you are _still _stupid! This, my friend, is an Attack Force 9, model number 602 from EurAsia, Sector 3. Not to mention it is illegally outfitted with…" Chester put his ear to the belly of the ship then traced his finger over one engine. "…a sperry-ball gun turret and a Lightning Engine model number 7URB0-66."

"Don't mind him, Remy." Trixie laughed. "Chester's our best mechanic. He has the hands and the mind for machines."

"Don't forget a great heart." A. J. added. "Did you get the chair?"

Tim exited the plane with the prize in tow. "Yeah. Hey, Remy. You gonna leave that kid on board?" he asked.

"Oh, man. I totally forgot about him!" The fifteen year-old dashed into his plane and returned carrying the still unconscious boy.

"Who's he?" A. J. asked.

"He's a recruit escapee." Remy replied. "I'd say that he's about twelve. Here, he was holding this." He handed A. J. a box. "I haven't opened it."

A. J. handed the box to Tim, who opened it. "Sunglasses and a comb." He said with awe.

A. J. scoffed at the contents. "As if those are important!"

"They are!" Tim said firmly. "Like I've said before, I'm not from here. So whatever may seem useless to you, is special and important to me!"

There was a moment of silence. This was broken by Trixie who said, "We definitely need to get that chair working!"

* * *

-1 day later-

Remy stood at the entrance to his plane. It had been repaired, refueled, and freshened up. Chester definitely had the magic touch. As he shook hands with the child mechanic, he saw through the hanger's window, Trixie and Tim smiling at him. Remy thought back to his adventures a day earlier.

From them parachuting from his plane to helping him out in the dogfight, he found it hard to believe that they were only eleven years old. "If every Resistance kid grew up like them," he said once Chester had left. "Victoria would be out of power in months. Heck, days."

* * *

"It won't work." A. J. stated.

"What?!" Trixie, Tim, Chester, Michael, and Kaytlin exclaimed at once.

"The chair's here, but it still needs one vital piece."

"And that is?"

A. J. sadly chuckled. "The power source."

"Are you friggin' kidding me?" Tim kicked a crumpled piece of paper in the Test Room.

"We got our butts in danger for a chair that wouldn't work?" Trixie exploded.

A. J. nodded. "Apparently, she was expecting this and separated the battery before moving it from New Zealand."  
"If she expected this, wouldn't she have bugged it?" Kaytlin asked.

Tim nodded. "She did, but we blasted it with a low-frequency EMP wave. Any bug running on any frequency would've been overloaded."

Michael sat on the ground in temporary defeat. "Where is the battery located?" he asked.

A. J. shrugged. "You can only hope Shade can locate it. I'll let him know what has happened."

"Good. I can get a foreign team set up in no time! I just need the location!" Michael stood up to return to guard duty.

* * *

-1 year later-

"Hey, Tim." Twelve year-old Trixe approached her long-time friend. "Kaytlin and I are heading out, wanna come with?"

Tim looked at Trixie. It had been exactly one year and two months since he had screwed up the timeline and inadvertently created this hellish future, but he was still everyday happy and surprised to hear Trixie Tang talk to him as a friend and confide in him her dearest secrets. Despite having his alternate memories of his life before the screw-up, there were still things he couldn't recall. Trixie had filled him in on some of it, though.

"Yeah," Tim replied. "I'll come."

"So this is what it's like when everyone's outside…" Tim looked around him. His whole life he had been cooped up inside the Resistance base.

Everyone had on their own item of clothing. It seemed so muchlike the world he had screwed up, he thought that he actually was back in happy times. But, of course, things were not always what they seem. Upon closer inspection, Tim discovered small, but important things that set apart his happy life from the one he was now experiencing.

On each person's neck was a bar code with a personal number beneath it. This was used for identification and purchases. The bare minimum a person needed was in that code. Their money was there. If someone openly stood against Victoria and her world government, they'd just turn that barcode void and that person was cut-off from society. They would be unable to buy or sell anything making it impossible to buy food. Also, you would loose your home and be erased from the public records. If you did an outstanding achievement for the New World, your name was erased and credit was given to a person apart of Victoria's party who was above the law.

Then came the worst part; Victoria would wipe everyone's memory of you through their barcodes. Even if they bumped into you once in their life and never spoke to you, that incident was erased then replaced with whatever Victoria saw fit. So, according to Victoria, you never existed.

Of course those with enough money were exempt from having the neck barcodes.

Kaytlin ushered her friends inside a clothing store. "I hear they have a new shade for gray for sale!" she told them. As Kaytlin ran off to find some shoes, Trixie picked out some clothing then stepped into a dressing room. Seconds later, she reemerged wearing a sparkling red dress.

"Well?" she asked.

Tim's jaw hit the floor. "Uh…Wow." The dress emphasized her body and curves while still being modest.

"I take that as a 'good?'" She smirked.

Tim dumbly nodded. "Yeah, lovely."

"Why, thank you! I might get it." She went back into the dressing room and reemerged in her street clothes.

"Why? Is there any occasion?"

Trixie nodded but didn't tell him what it was. "Wait till we are home." She approached the cash register and placed the item on the scanner. The machine beeped.

"Why don't you get these shoes, Trixie?" Kaytlin had found them.

"Oh, I can't" Trixie replied as she scanned her neck for payment. "I don't have enough money."

_Not enough money!? Never thought I'd hear a Tang say that!_ Tim thought.

"Okay, I'll buy them." Kaytlin scanned her neck.

A. J. had given the three of them temporary barcodes for their night on the town.

These temps worked like a normal barcode, but they were stamped on the neck instead of being sewn into the skin, and carried a set amount of 5,000. You then could sell items and use it like the standard, however, when ever someone was 'exiled' from existence. Instead of forgetting that person, these code would invert the orders and give you information about the exiled person.

The Exiled made excellent spies for the Resistance for they had nothing to loose and they were untraceable because they didn't exist. If an Exiled made contact with a person, or even an entire city, while carrying out a mission, that worried no one, because the memory of that Exile would be erased seconds after the encounter. A well-known Exile was Michael the foreign lands expert.

As the three made their way back to the base, Tim couldn't help but cry. Every person he passed he knew, but they didn't know him. Between walking from the store to base, he had seen the Dinkleburgs, A. J.'s parents, Tad and Chad, and Francis. He was later told by Chester, however, that Francis was apart of the Resistance and was currently searching out other Exiles in hiding.

"You'll never guess what!" Chester greeted them at the door with excitement.

"Uh-"  
"I said you'll never guess, so don't guess!" he yelled. "Shade's found the location of the battery!"

Three blank stares.

"For the chair, come on people. Last year?"

"Oh yeah!" Trixie replied as the memories of her eleventh year returned to her.

"Where is it?" Tim asked.

"Vickstalia!" Chester replied. "Michael's set up a team and is about to leave from the mission soon! C'mon!"

"The last time he was this excited, he was cleaning the trash compactor." Kaytlin muttered as she, Trixie, and Tim ran after the blond boy.

* * *

Upon entering, they were greeted by a happy face. Remy was standing next to Michael.

"Remy!" Tim and Trixie ran over to hug their friend. Now sixteen years old, Remy was sporting a pilot's leather jacket and a shortly cut beard. "Hey, dude. Dudette." He greeted them.

"What are you doing here?" Tim asked.

"Filling in for Cassidy."

Tim and Trixie looked down the line of the Special Operations team Michael had assembled and was about to lead. There was Cassidy, the eighteen year-old flying ace. He was undoubtedly going to be their transportation. Next was Jenny, the best sniper for her age. She was only ten. Their demolitions expert was a ten year-old name Mark. He seemed to never age and had a voice bigger than his body. He was wearing a green hat and a pink shirt with a yellow star on the center that provided the much-needed power of shapeshifting. Last was the leader, Michael. He was eleven like Tim and Trixie.

"Let's go, team." Mark called out.

Within moments, the strike team was suited up in the stealth suits, not unlike the ones Tim and Trixie had worn one year ago. Of course with time came improvements, such as the installed personal toilet which Jenny demonstrated. There were three beeps from her suit then she sighed. "I love this thing."

Every one not apart of the team slowly backed away from the youngest member.

* * *

Tim and Trixie watched the Special Ops' ship take to the sky for their mission to Vickstalia. They were soon joined by Sanjay and Remy.

"This is so cool." Remy sighed. "I'm finally apart of the Resistance!" He turned to Sanjay. "When's my first mission?" he asked eagerly.

Sanjay shrugged. "You're asking me like I'm in charge?"

Remy swatted the back of his head. "No, I'm asking you to piss you off." He replied sarcastically. "I know you are the one who assigns flying missions."

"Okay tomorrow, you're gonna pick up Francis in the downtown area. He's found another Exile."

"Sweet! I'm gonna get some sleep!"

Tim laughed and looked back to the sky. The Special Ops plane was just a dot on the horizon. _Soon,_ he thought to himself, _everyone will know I'm not crazy, just weird._ He smiled and unconsciously hugged Trixie closer.

Trixie, who didn't seem to mind, nuzzled closer into his chest and fell asleep.

A/N: Yay 2 in one day! Sorry that there isn't much action but please read and review. The 10 year old Mark on the special ops team is Mark Chang, but he's not an alien, just has a device that can shapeshift him. Also, next chapter should be up next week. It will be about the strike team and contain almost no Tim Trixie or anything till the end when they come back. The Exile you will know from the show. The personal toilet was used by Timmy's dad when he was an astronaut.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, team." Michael instructed over the roar of the jets engine. Considering it was a Stealth Ops jet, that wasn't saying much.

The Stealth Ops jets were built for speed and stealth. The ion engines were silenced with using advanced sound dampening technology.

"Suit up, we are five minutes away from the drop point. As soon as we land we are going to meet up with two of the scouts of Vickstralia Resistance Branch. Their names are Molly and Dwight." Michael put on his jump pack and checked his weapons.

There was a click and Cassidy's voice came over the intercom. "Alright, guys, we're here." The side hatch of the stealth jet opened and Jenny looked down.

"I can't see the ground!" gasped Mark. "Radical!"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "You like it so much? You're first." She pushed him off the plane.

"Totally wicked!" Mark screamed.

"Next." Michael jumped out of the plane followed by Jenny. As soon as the team was together in the air, Michael gave the okay symbol and the four of them ignited their jump packs. The nozzles on the jump packs began to slow their fall.

"We're below the security grid, activate the darkchutes." The team pulled the chords hanging from their packs and black parachutes ejected. They floated to the ground with no notice.

"Where are we?" Mark asked.

Cassidy's voice came over their radio. "You're five miles from the nearest city."

"Where are the two agents that are supposed to meet us?" Mark asked.

"Approaching your position." Cassidy replied. "Call if you need anything,"

"Where are they?"

"Right here!" The team turned to see two fifteen year-olds jogging to their place. "Hey,"

Spoke a girl. She was wearing khaki shorts and a tank top. On her head was a black beanie that kept her hair in its place. Her raven hair was in a ponytail and her bangs were combed to hide her right eye. "I'm Molly. And that's Dwight."

Dwight was a pathetic looking teen. Carrot red hair and oversized glasses, he, like Molly, was dressed in khaki pants and a matching tank top. However, unlike Molly, Dwight was not muscular. To make up for that, he had a harpoon gun strapped to his back. Both carried two knives and had twin pistols strapped to their thighs.

"Nice to meet you two." Jenny shook Dwight's hand then reached for Molly's.

"Um, I have a strict 'no touching' policy." Molly pushed Jenny's hand away.

"Okay," Mark said, "Shall we get moving?"

The others nodded.

* * *

Many twists and turns later, the five freedom fighters stood below ground in a dome-shaped room. It was dark save for the blue light the map gave off. The map was projected on the ceiling via a smart projector.

"Okay, where's this thing located?" Michael asked.

Molly poked a point on the ceiling map with her finger. "There in the Strong District."

"Oh, of course it would be located in that area. Do you have an exact location?"

"Yes, we know who has it, just not were."

"Huh?"

Dwight explained. "It's being transported to a safeguard facility on New Zealand. We'll only have two hours to steal the battery."

"Wow, all this for a kid younger than me…" Molly sighed, "He must really be something."

Michael snorted, "You could say that. He thinks he has lived two lives and Shade believes him."

"Do you?"

"No, not really. He's a good fighter, but I believe he's just trying to get even more attention than normal."

Jenny shook her head. "I like this drama and all, but I came here to shoot people, not to play psychologist!" she fiddled with the trigger of her sniper rifle.

Dwight shook his head. "They just don't make ten year-olds like they used to."

"Let's go." Mark sighed.

* * *

Molly raised the manhole cover. "There is the caravan." She pointed to a group of trucks being protected by tanks.

"Well, then let's get the party started!" Mark readied his blaster and jumped out only to be pulled in again by Molly.

"Hey, what wrong with you? You just blow in from Stupidtown?" she berated him. "The armor protecting those trucks would rip us to shreds!"

"Don't worry, girl." Michael placed a hand on Molly's shoulder. "Mark is an expert sneaker and demolitions expert. He'll have those tanks out in no time."

He was right. Mark jumped from the manhole and dashed to the nearest tank. In minutes he had explosive wire wrapped around every tank.

"How do they not see him?" Dwight asked

"We don't know why no one sees him, but it works for us."

Mark came back. "It's done." His hand rested on the plunger.

A couple minutes passed and everyone turned to Mark.

"Well?" Jenny asked.

"Wait for it…" Mark muttered.

"Hey!" there was a voice by the tanks. The team looked back to see that the Dark Soldiers had found the detonation pack.

"Hehehe, NOW!" Mark pushed the plunger and every tank went up in a fiery explosion.

"See, I told you." Michael said, his hand still resting on Molly's shoulder.

Molly gave Michael an evil look, "Touching." She warned.

"Sorry," he removed his hand from her shoulder.

Dwight lobbed a smoke grenade from where they were hidden. As soon as the gray smoke filled the area, the strike team jumped out of their hiding spot and made a dash for the main trucks.

"We are here." Jenny withdrew a laser knife and cut through the lock. She opened the door. "Go!"

Michael climbed into the truck and searched each crate for the needed battery.

"Hurry up!" hissed Molly.

"I got it" But it was too late the truck's engine started and a laser field closed the trucks back off preventing Michael from escaping. "No!" He tried to push himself through the field, but with every touch, a jolt of energy coursed through his veins to his heart. Eventually, he only managed to get the battery through the field.

"Well, we got the battery." Jenny sighed. "We should go."

"Nu-uh." Molly objected. "You're not leaving till Michael's back."

"Why?"

"I've never lost a man or woman and I'm not about to start now!" She turned to Dwight. "Is there any way to trace him?"

Dwight nodded and handed her a GPS device. "It's locked on to his Bio Signature."

"'Bio Signature'?" Mark asked.

"It's the actual life force of a person and much more reliable than Ion Sigs," Molly explained. "Call up your pilot. We're going to the Towers."

* * *

Trixie and Tim walked down the hallway to the medical room Gary was being held. The door hissed open and they saw Veronika talking to a nurse by Gary's bedside. Veronika noticed Tim and Trixie and smiled. "Hey, guys." The thirteen year-old nurse walked over to her friends. "Tim, I didn't know you had a brother."

"Neither did I" he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. How is he?"

Veronika's smile returned. "He'll pull through. The worst damage is actually his mind. Breaking away from Victoria's iron-fisted rule and regaining his individuality really put a stress on his mind."

"Good."

"Have you two seen the new recruit?" she asked them. "He is an Exile named Elmer."

"Elmer? That's a weird name." Trixie replied. "Where is he?"

"He's down at the armory. Remy is giving him a tour. That's weird considering he was given the tour just hours ago."

Trixie sighed. "Let's go, Tim. Better make sure he doesn't break anything."

"…and that is why it's called the Striker Z." Remy finished telling Elmer the story behind the most fabled attack vehicle in Shade's Resistance history.

"That actually isn't why it's called the Striker Z," The two boys turned and Trixie continued. "It was called Striker Z because it was made by Striker and was the twenty-sixth one made."

Remy coughed. "Ahem, well, yes. And over here is-"

"Oh, can it Remy." Tim interrupted the tour. "You only got the tour this morning." Then he turned to the other kid. "You must be Elmer."

"Yes I am!" The kid had a nasally voce and a boil on his right cheek. He was wearing a tattered sweater vest and dirty green dress pants. He must've been no more than ten.

"What did you do to be Exiled?" Tim asked.

"I named my boil Bob," the kid blushed. "The officers said it made me different." He put his glasses on his face then sighed. "I'm always different and weird."

Tim put a comforting hand on Elmer's back. "Hey, I'm considered weirder than you, believe me."

"'Considered'?" asked Trixie, "Heck, you believe you lived two lives."

Elmer gave Tim a blank stare. "That's weird."

Tim turned to Trixie, "Thanks. Thanks a lot."

"Anytime." She smiled sweetly.

* * *

Jenny was stationed, crouched, on the side of the Tower. The Tower was the main building on Vickstralia. The best of the best Dark Soldiers were stationed there. It had maximum security compared to other facilities stationed on Vickstralia…until now.

"Okay, pal." Jenny whispered into her radio, "Where do you want it?" She had her beloved sniper rifle level with her eye and on maximum zoom.

Mark's voice came over the radio. "A dead shot. Make it clean."

"Aw really?" Jenny groaned as she flicked a switch and the barrel on the front traded places with the barrel beneath it. "Because I really love the way they scream and yell when my love's bullets enter their legs."

"We don't want any attention!" Mark hissed.

"Fine" She aimed for the nearest soldier and fired when the other guards were gone. The beam cleanly decapitated the guard and he fell from his perch on the ledge of the Tower. "He's down. I'll stay here and give you cover."

Molly led the strike team to the doors of the large facility. "Okay. According to this device, Michael's being contained in the cell two stories above us."

Dwight equipped the harpoon gun and fired it to a window. "Climb." He instructed. They did. First up was Molly, then Mark, then Dwight last. Meeting them at the window were two guards and a Dark Soldier, rifles primes and ready for action. Before either side could do anything, four bursts of light entered the building. The three guards collapsed, burn marks in the dead center of their chests, and the fourth sniper shot ripped the lock from the door.

"Thanks, Jenny," Mark radioed.

"Yeah, yeah. I just did it for fun." She joked. "If I had more ammo, there wouldn't be one soldier left alive outside!"

"Ha ha," Molly sarcastically laughed.

The team made their way down the hall. "Door on the right." Molly picked the lock and Mark rushed inside.

"He's in a stasis tube." He reported. "I can't break him out. Might damage his mind."

"I got it." Dwight placed a small EMP charge on the control panel. He pressed the button and a pulse was released through the machine.

"Ugh." Michael dropped from the tube and into Molly's waiting arms.

"You okay, kid?" She asked the eleven year-old.

Michael chuckled.

"What?"

"Touching." He joked in a barely audible voice.

Molly blushed and was tempted to drop him out of natural instinct, but decided against it. "For you, there's an exception." She carried him to the door. "Got 'im"

"Good." Mark radioed Cassidy to meet them at the field Jenny was stationed. "Let's see how she's doing." Mark said.

The young fighters looked outside and saw Dark Soldier bodies lining the floor. "She's really good." Dwight mentioned. "They were so busy trying to find her, they didn't care about us!"

"Or didn't know." Michael breathed.

"There's the ship, go." Molly transferred Michael to Mark.

"What about you?" Mark asked. "You can't stay here, they'll kill you."

"If they can catch us." Two motorbikes emerged from the field and Dwight and Molly mounted. "Go on!" she shouted "We'll keep in touch!" Then they were gone.

Alarms blared in the Tower and lasers began flying in every direction.

"Move, move, move, move!" Mike met up with Jenny and pushed the ten year-old sniper into Cassidy's ship.

"What is with all the bodes?" Mark asked.

Jenny blushed. "Itchy trigger finger." She stroked her gun like it was her husband. "And he was lonely and bored."

"Hard to believe you are only ten..." Mark muttered to himself

"Strap in," Cassidy called out, "I'm takin' off before they get their fighters off the ground.

"Why?" Jenny asked disgusted. "We can take them."

"We're in a jet that is built for speed and stealth and not dog fighting."

"So?"

"Boy, you really are thirty-one flavors of dumb aren't you?" Mark asked. He flicked Jenny behind the ear.

"Hey!" she made a futile attempt to swat Mark's face, but missed and ended up hitting Michael's frail form. "Ouch," he said weakly, "Stop it…I'm sleepy."

Cassidy shook his head then had the computer shut the cockpit door. "This is why I'm the pilot." He sighed

* * *

A/N: Cool, fourth done. The update time my be slow, but I hope they are long enough. This chapter is 9 pages. Please read and review. This was solely about the strike team and the battery. Molly and Dwight were characters from the new FOP episode Wishing Well, the one where he is put in that place to stop wishing. Yes I did scramble the agfes of the characters


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: My first Author's Note at the beginning! Anyway, the chair is used. The memories will be centered and will start and end with dashs (-)

It had been two days since the Special Ops team had returned from Vickstralia with the chair's battery and Chester was still working on turning the chair on.

"I don't get it," Tim complained. "Shouldn't there be an 'on' switch?" He was sorely frustrated at the time it was taking for the chair to be up and running.

Veronika smiled and shook her head. "It isn't always as easy as an 'on and off' switch." She scoffed.

Tim hadn't spoken to Veronika much in this reality. He wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he already had a set-in opinion of her from his past life. But from what he could tell she had no wanting to be Trixie, or as she was called in this reality, Kristen Beatrix 'Trixie' Tang. "Oh, boy." Tim sighed. There was so much difference between what he remembered and how things really.

"What's wrong?" Veronika asked with genuine concern.

"Nothing." Tim told the thirteen year-old blond. The two stood in silence, staring out the base's window at the Special Ops jet where Jenny and Michael were carrying on a conversation. "How is he?" Tim asked.

"Who, Mike?" Veronika asked.

"Yeah. I heard he was broken from a stasis tube hold prematurely during the mission."

"Yes, he was. But he's fine. Miracle he survived, though. His implant needed to be replaced, though."

"He has an implant?" Tim asked.

"Yeah he does." Veronika replied.

"Why? Implants are for kids with mental disabilities."

Veronika smirked. "Guess who's dyslexic." She asked.

Tim frowned. "Mike's dyslexic?"

"You'd never guess, huh?"

"No. That implant really works."

"Actually it is a strength implant. It doesn't inhibit his disability. Or as Kaytlin calls it; his 'kiss-ability.' The disability helps him create plans so wacky and confounded that Victoria and the Dark Soldiers see no logic in them…until it is too late."

Tim smiled as he reminded himself that everything, in the right light, could be counted as a gift

* * *

Molly loved being out at night. Though she was away from the safety of the base, she was also away from her brothers Tad, younger, and adopted Chad, older brother. In the forest and fields on the outskirts of the Strong District, the District that Molly at one point called 'home.' If you could grow up in the Strong District with your body intact, you could survive anywhere. She had frequented the plains as a child to escape the hardships of the Strong District. This made her a natural choice as Top Scout in the Resistance Vickstralia Branch. She knew these woods like the back of her hand.

She released a content sigh as she lay in the crook of a tree. At night the sky didn't seem so bad…

"Molly. Molly. Do you come in?" Molly sighed and tried to remember why she had brought her radio with her. Dwight was a pain the ass. He was her partner in crime. The two were near opposites. Molly was disorganized, wise, strong, agile, fast, and beautiful. Dwight was organized to near perfection and creepiness, intelligent but naïve, weak, not as agile, slow, and nerdy with a face full of freckles and pimples. To make up for his lack of strength, Dwight would carry every kind of gun he could manage and was considered a weapons pundit on the base. _Stupid teen thinks he is cool, _Molly cursed as she answered the radio. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here."

"Thank goodness!" Dwight sounded concerned. If Dwight was concerned, that meant something was happening. Something bad.

"What's going on?"

"There's someone near your position!" Dwight shouted. "We aren't sure whether or not it is one of ours, but he or she is out there waiting!"

Molly clenched her teeth in agony as she fumbled with the volume controls. She wanted to ram her palm into Dwight so hard. _Okay, so there's someone out here that could kill me and he blurts out my position! Ugh…Dwight, Dwight, Dwight…_

Molly's thoughts were interrupted by a groan. "Hey. Hey, is-is someone there?" another groan. "My leg…oh…."

Molly moved toward the groan with cat-like stealth. Years of walking around in the shrubs had paid off and Molly was a great sneaker. An outstanding rumor on base was that she had snuck up on a Spire, the guard towers to the Tower, in the noon sun, on asphalt, on flat ground, with planes overhead. Though it was a rumor, Molly never contradicted it. Moving large leaves from her view, she gasped. On the ground with his mask off and sleeves and one pant leg rolled up to his thigh was a Dark Soldier

* * *

Tim and Trixie were the youngest among a group of teens being briefed on a convoy transporting a weapon known as laser staffs. The laser staff was a staff that could release energy as a thin but deadly film around the staff. When activated, the staff was only able to be held via power gloves that only Dark Soldiers were equipped with.

Mark groaned. "I told you we shouldn't have tossed those!" he yelled at Jenny.

"Okay, okay, so I was wrong for once in my life. Sue me."

There was a slam followed by Chester's voice. "Dudes!! I totally got it! Trixie Tim! Whoo hoo!" He gestured wildly for the two he called to follow him. Even after they had left and the door was closed, Chester's yells and whoops were still audible.

"Tim and Trixie. It's always Tim and Trixie." Mark complained. "Why?"

"I think there's something between them that they won't admit to even themselves." Sanjay said.

"Love?"

"I guess."

"Pfft," Jenny scoffed. "That's not love."

"Then what is it?" Sanjay asked interested about the ten year-olds view of the strong emotion.

"Simple. Love is making a sniper-shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using a double barrel projectile sniper rifle with a tri-light scope. 'Love' is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds."

Sanjay and Mark stared at her in silence and surprise. "Weird." Sanjay muttered.

"Hey, you asked." Mark told the Indian teen.

* * *

"Okay, sit here." Chester instructed Tim.

Tim sat in the chair and Chester placed the helmet on Tim's head. "Now to turn it on…" There was a soft whir and the machine came to life.

"Is this safe?" Trixie asked.

"Of course. We have a great test record. Everyone we've used it on before today has survived unharmed."

"But Tim's the first person to use the chair."

"Exactly." He turned to a nine year-old at a control panel. "Enable live feed."

"Enabling live feed." The young kid obediently informed.

"Live feed? For who?"

Shade's dark form appeared on an overhead screen.

Trixie shook her head. "Let me guess, Chester; you're also recording this for future generations?"

Chester smiled. "Yep, how'd you guess?" He turned to Tim. "How's it going?"

Tim felt a pull on his head as if someone was working really hard to pull the hair from his scalp. "This is painful!"

"Hey, you just wanted to prove you were special." Chester retorted calmly. "Now, pipe down, a mental picture is coming into view." On the screen directly above a picture of Tim's other memories.

"Wait!" Trixie pushed Chester aside and switched the machine to stand-by. "He's been ridiculed so long for this, shouldn't the others see this?" She looked up at Shade. He nodded in understanding.

"It will also prove to them I know best."

* * *

Within minutes the viewing room was filled to overflowing. Some wanted to watch his memories, while others just wanted to prove the fact that he was just some kid that thought he was special.

The room filled with many voicing their opinions. "When does it start?"

"I was in the middle of eating!"

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOW!"

"Aw dang, you beat me."

"I'm bored."

"What the point of this?"

"This is stupid."

"You're stupid."

Trixie sighed and turned the screen on. "Everyone shut up and watch!"

The room darkened and all eyes turned to the screen above Tim's head.

What was shown first made everyone gasp. The ten year-old Timmy was apparently outside. Because these were Tim's memories they couldn't see his body, and luckily, his pink hat.

"Is that…outside?" a kid asked in awe.

Another person spoke. "It's so…colorful. And, and do you see that?"

"Yeah."

"It's the sky."

* * *

"I-ungh-know you're here." The Dark Soldier grunted. "Now come here and help me or I'll sick the entire Dark Soldier Force on you." He held up a communicator device.

Molly's heart was beating hundreds of times a minute. He knew she was watching him. _No choice._ Molly stepped from behind the bushes. "What do you want?" she asked defensively.

"He-he, thanks." The Dark Soldier replied. "Down here, your friend the sharpshooter blasted my leg earlier."

Molly nodded. A squad of Dark Soldiers had set camp in the field in search of the Resistance Base. Luckily, Molly had spotted them before they really became an issue. Their best runner, Carlos, drew the Dark Soldiers out and Chad led a sniper team to dispose of the threat. When Dwight and some others searched the camp, all were dead. This one must have gotten away. A big feat considering the shape he was in.

The Dark Solder could see the worry on her face in the moonlight. "Don't worry, girlie, I won't hurt you."

"How can I be sure?"

He laughed. "Does it look like I'm in any shape to hurt you?"

_No…_Molly answered in her head. The last thing she wanted was to tell the enemy he was right. Aside from helping him. "Fine" She bent to his foot and grimaced. She never thought about what the Resistance was doing to people. They were taught to shoot and move on. Don't stay and watch. By living with the Resistance you forget that no matter how evil, the enemy was still human. The Dark Soldier's leg was a disgusting picture of raw flesh.

Molly gagged. "What hit you?" she asked.

"Bullet." He answered as if it was an everyday occurrence. "Ya know, I'm glad you're part of the Resistance." As he spoke, he reached for his chest pocket. "There's something I needed to get to Lawrence."

Molly stiffened. Lawrence was the leader of the Vickstralia Resistance Branch. "How do you know Lawarence?"

"Here." He handed her an enveloped letter.

Molly's eyes briskly viewed the document. "This is a schedule for bombing raids…and…" she skimmed it further. "…how to sabotage them?" She looked from the letter to his face to his leg. "Why?" She strapped long strong sticks to his femur to make a makeshift splint.

"Read who signed it." He smirked through the pain.

"'Erebus.'" Molly looked at him. "You are Erebus?"

"I'd be a liar if I said 'no.'" The Dark Soldier reclined. "So, when do we leave?"

"Wait, wait, wait, what's this 'we' stuff?" Molly asked.

"Hey, I'm part of the Resistance as much as you are, or more."

"Hmph." Erebus was an inside man. He'd give Lawrence special information straight from the Tower. Almost any important event the Dark Soldiers and Ninjas were apart of, Erebus would transfer all needed information Lawrence would need for a successful counterattack, defense, or ambush. "How can I be sure?"

"Again, what can I do to you?"

Awkward silence.

"You know what I mean."

"Okay, you want proof, fine. Take me to Lawrence and you'll get your proof. I'll strip off all weapons even. You just have to trust me."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Warrior's genes?"

"Yeah, how else would I be a Dark Soldier?"

_True_, Molly helped the Dark Soldier claiming to be Erebus up. "Come on, let's go. Holy curd you're heavy!"

"It's all muscle."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Molly blushed as his chest brushed against her back then her arm. _It really is all muscle._

* * *

"I can't believe we are seeing the sky." Chester's voice was verging on tears.

Trixie looked up at Shade in the screen. He has holding his head in his hands and was shaking. It was obvious he was crying; a rare sight. Trixie ran up to Tim and hugged his frozen form.

"Oh, Tim! You've shown us the sky!"

Instantly the picture changed as Tim's subconscious registered Trixie's voice.

--The scene shifted to school. Timmy entered the lunch room holding a tray. The view swept from one end of the room to the other. Then Timmy moved toward a table with purple table cloth and a muscular bodyguard coolly leaning on a nearby wall. At the table were four students; a girl in a cheerleader uniform, two boys, one African-American and one Caucasian, were wearing identical clothing, and a girl in a purple top with white skirt.--

"Hey!" Sanjay exclaimed, "It's Trixie! In a dress!"

Cat-calls and wolf whistles erupted from the audience.

_Gross!_ Trixie thought_, I'd NEVER wear a dress!_

--Timmy's voice broke her thoughts and silenced the audience. "Hi Trixie, I-"

The alternate memory Trixie stuck her nose in the air and held up a hand. "Not worthy."

The girl sitting next to Trixie, obviously Veronika, clapped her hands. "Ahem. Bodyguard, hello?" Her strong valley-girl accent made the real Veronika cringe, "Buck-toothed loser at ten 'o clock!"

"Right." Suddenly the view was raised as the bodyguard lifted Timmy off the ground. "To the trash, chump."

"Whoa!" Timmy flew through the air and landed in a garbage can.--

"Ouch," Chester stepped from behind the controls. "Trixie…Veronika…" He looked at the two girls, one by Tim's frozen form and the other holding strong on Gary's wheelchair, as if they were different people.

Trixie withered under Chester's stare, but gathered enough courage to approach him. "Ma-maybe showing this to the others is a bad idea." she stuttered.

Chester's nostrils flared at her. "Right." He agreed but did nothing to stop it.

--"What do you mean you couldn't watch the sewer gator special?" it was s shrill voice and Sanjay as a ten year-old came into view.--

Snickers coursed through the audience.

Sanjay, embarrassed, stood quickly to defend himself. "I do not sound like that!" But Sanjay's emotions were so mixed up that his normally controlled voice rose and fell like that of a preteen boy with voice changes. Of course, this only succeeded in giving the audience more to laugh at.

--"Dude, you're on child blocks?" it was Chester's voice.--

"Huh, at least I sound normal." Chester crossed his arms.

-"Yeah," Timmy replied. "A. J., did you tape it for me?"

A. J. came into view. "Yes I did. Here, ol' buddy." A. J. handed Timmy a tape. "You're totally going to enjoy it."

Timmy took the tape an sighed.

"Trixie?" his three friends asked simultaneously.

"Yeah," Timmy bowed his head.-

"Hey!" shouted Elmer, "Where am I?"

His voice registered in the subconscious and brought up a memory.

--"Hey, best friend." Elmer was standing in front of Timmy in a 'Talk to Elmer' booth. "Life got you down? Talk to Elmer... for free!"

Timmy sat on the stood provided. "Life sucks."

"Trixie?"

Timmy groaned. "Awwww, why does everyone always think it is Trixie!?"

"Because it always is! You try to get her attention and she blows you off!"

"I know. I've tried almost everything. She doesn't even know that my love burns for her like the white-hot intensit of one thosad suns!--

There were 'ooh's' and 'whoo hoo's' and Trixie blushed. _I don't love him in that memory? But I love him in this life! _She held her head. _Oo, this is so confusing!_ She returned her attention to the screen.

--Timmy bowed his head.

"So it rerally isn't Trixie this time?" Elmer asked with concern.

"No. It's Vicky."--

There was an audible gasp then dead silence. Shade spoke for the first time. "Vicky." He said the name of the feared dictator rather loud so it could be registered in Tim's subconscious.

Instead of bringing up a memory, Tim's mind brought up a series of pictures, like a slideshow. Each image showed a sixteen year-old with fiery red hair with an evil gleam in her dark eyes doing something egregiously bad to land Timmy in trouble. Every image evoked utmost pity from even the most hard-hearted in the audience.

"He really knew her." Sanjay breathed as the images flashed in front of his eyes. Finally the images were enough. "Shut it off…"

Chester nodded. "I have the whole thing on tape." He turned to Shade's image on the screen. "I'll send you everything else faster than you can toot a horn." Before he could turn the chair off, the images stopped and a new video came to screen.

--A girl, ten years-old and dressed in a school uniform, was running towards Timmy, arms open. "TIMMY!" she called out in a squeaky voice.

"Oh, no!" Timmy said to himself. "Tootie! Aw man!" Timmy turned and ran as fast as he could to his home. But he wasn't fast enough. The view jerked as Tootie wrapped her arms around Timmy's neck. "Urck!"

"Oh, Timmy! It so great to see you! I haven't seen you in two days, five hours, and twenty-four minutes!" She laid sloppy kisses on his cheeks.

Timmy desperately tried to push away the loving girl. "Don't you get it?" Timmy strained to talk under the barrage of kisses. "I don't like you. I never will like you!" He broke away just in time to see Trixie walk by followed closely be her bodyguard and Veronkia.

"Oo! Loser love!" the rich elementary student cruelly mocked.

"Yeah," Veronika added. "Congratulations, Turner. You've finally found someone, aside from your parents, that loves you!"

"Oh, wait!" Trixie finished the kill, "You're parents don't love you either!" The two girls laughed hysterically.

"Thanks a lot, Tootie, for ruining my life." Timmy murmured.

Tootie's eyes brimmed with tears, but Timmy turned. "Oh, no," Timmy huffed, "I'm not falling for that."--

The others in the audience turned and looked at each other. "Who's Tootie?" Elmer asked.

"Shhh!" quieted the girl next to him.

"But I wanna know!"

He was quickly hushed again.

--"Why won't you return my love, Timmy? Why, why, WHY?!" Tootie was in shambles, but no one could see her face because Timmy's eyes were closed.

Then there was a yell. More like the screech of a harpy. "Mistake!" Timmy's eyes opened in time for others to see Tootie being snatched up by Victoria.--

The pressure in the room could be cut with a knife. Everyone was holding their breath. Only certain people actually saw the world dictator face to face. Now, all were seeing the one they feared, fought, and hated.

--"I asked you to clean the windows. And when I ask you to do something, I am TELLING YOU!" She smacked Tootie across the face then turned to Timmy. "As for you, Twerp, according to your parents and the wad of cash I received as an advance, I'll be seeing you later." Then, with Tootie in tow, Vicky guffawed as she walked to her street.--

Tim blacked out from the stress on his mind. The chair turned off with a buzz and there was silence.

* * *

"Okay, almost there." Molly soothed the wounded Dark Soldier. "Just hang on to me."

"As if I want to do anything else?" he replied cockily.

Molly blushed. _Smooth._ "Here we are." She lifted the trapdoor integrated into the woodland floor. "Okay, there's a slight incline, you'll have to stoop. Can you manage?"

He grunted a yes and both entered the base.

"Halt!" The guard called out.

Molly sighed. "Ben, it's me, Molly."

"You are aiding the enemy."

"He needs to speak to Lawrence."

"I'm sure he'd love to, but it is too bad he'll die before he can speak!" Ben leveled his pistol with the wounded soldier's eyes.

Molly sighed. "Ben, give it a rest, will ya? You really believe he's gonna try smething when so heavily guarded? Look." She waved a hand over his body. "He's left every weapon."

Ben made a move to give the Dark Soldier a pat down, but the Dark Soldier resisted. "Uh I'd rather you not."

"Why? Afraid I'll find a hidden weapon?" Ben smirked.

"No, I'm just leery of pat downs by other males, that's all. If a girl wants to volunteer, then I'm okay with that."

Ben raised the gun again. "Too bad."

The Dark Soldier smiled as the hammer clicked into place. "That, my friend, is a Jetfire A113 model. It takes one point three seconds to fire and two point five to reload."

"So?"

"I can disarm a man in three tenths of a second." As soon as the sentence finished, the Jetfire was in the Dark Soldier's hand. "See?" He threw the gun back at the stunned boy. "Nice try, though."

Molly stifled a giggle and continued to lead the Dark Soldier calling himself Erebus to the door to the main floor. There was a sharp click.

"Oh yeah," The Dark Soldier turned and faced Ben. "You might want these to fire." He opened his hand and the bullets from the Jetfire plinked on the metal floor. "Nice kid."

Molly and the Dark Soldier were immediately the focus of attention from the time the main door opened to the time Lawrence exited his chambers. Every stare was a mix of hatred at the Dark Soldier and surprise and betrayal at Molly. Even Dwight looked hurt and angry that his friend would betray the Resistance. Then Lawrence came out.

Lawrence was the twenty-three year-old self-proclaimed ruler of the Vickstralia Resistance Branch and no one challenged him. He was an excellent strategizer and mathematician. He would engage his mind daily in mental challenges and use mathematics to predict the enemy's next move in times of war. Like all good leaders, he also accepted the views and opinions of others. Though terrible on the field, his charisma was so wonderful that he could convince almost anyone to fight for him.

The look on his face when he spotted the Dark Soldier was first of horror and defense then of recognition. "Mario!" He ran forward and embraced the Dark Soldier.

Confusion descended on the others, even Molly. "Did we miss something?" she asked slowly.

"Okay, okay. OW" The Dark Soldier pushed Lawrence of then fell, his splint was broken.

"Ouch, dude, what happened?" Lawrence asked.

"Uh, ignore that and answer us!" Chad yelled.

"Right." Lawrence turned to his friends. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my younger brother, Mario. You might better know him as Erebus, the double-agent."

Assured 'ahh's' filled the main room and some waved welcomes.

Mario smiled despite the pain shooting up his leg. "I left with a squad whose goal was to place markers for bombings t rat you guys out. I made a copy of the plans and was going to deliver them to Lawrence then sabotage some before leaving. Well, damn, you did show up and next thing I know, a sniper's round enters my shin. Pow! Right through the Dark Soldier leg armor." He took another look at the wound and smiled again. "At least I know the schematics I gave you are being used."

There was little laughter as a medical team began moving Mario to a stretcher

* * *

Molly and Lawrence stood in the medical room by Mario's bed. He was giving them precise information about the layout of the tower, the guard duties, who was where and when, weak points in the shield, location of the shield generator, and other things that needed to be known for the planned take-over of the Tower.

Ever since the Tower was built, it plagued the landscape and the once hidden Resistance Branch was under constant threat and surveillance of some of the best Dark Soldiers and Ninjas in that hemisphere.

Eventually Lawrence left to let Mario rest. Molly stayed behind. "Why you staying?"

Molly shrugged.

"I told you I wasn't evil."

"Yeah, yeah, shove it in your ear." Molly playfully, but carefully pushed Mario.

"Warming up to me, huh?" Mario asked slyly.

"Maybe. Never know, I might be on your team someday."

"Why not now? I think I've proved myself to join the Resistance."

Molly scrunched up her nose. "Aren't you going back to the Tower?" she asked.

"Hell, no!" Mario exclaimed. "If you show up late, they drill you with questions about where you were. Better they think I'm dead. Besides, their food's horrible."

Molly giggled. "Get well soon, soldier." She kissed his forehead.

"Aw, my lips were ready." Mario winked.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Some other time."

* * *

A dark figure stood facing a large pane window. Her eyes swept over the now empty streets of Dimmsdale. Se was the only one who remembered that there was a time that she wasn't in control of people. That is what she thought until someone stole the chair. She wanted that chair destroyed. She wasn't even sure why it had been made. "Grrar!" She verbally lashed out in pure frustraton. "Denzel!"

In walked her mentor and father figure, Denzel Crocker. Denzel had been let in on the plan to rule the world as soon as she conqured it. She had severly underestimated his demented mind. She killed her parents and he was now her father. He was her favorite person because every time she felt down and out, he'd show her someone suffering and she'd be feeling better. "Yes, my friend." He was the only person other than her sister that called her something other than 'Dictator' or any other title.

Victoria shook where she stood. "I can feel it. My reign is slipping. I have a feeling that I'm going to loose the people. That soon something is going to happen that will jeopardize everything we've worked for."

Crocker smiled with his crooked teeth. "Sounds like someone needs a visit to the torture chamber!" He spoke like a father to a sad child.

Victoria nodded. "Yes. I need to be reminded that my rule is forever."

"No!" Crocker shouted. "You have it wrong! You don't need to be reminded, the people need to be reminded."

A slow smile spread across Victoria's elegant face.

A/N: Wow. This is cool! Or not. School's starting so updates will be slower and chapters will be shorter. This chapter is my longest. Seventeen pages baby! Mario is not my character, he is Trixiestix character. I forgot my disclamer, but I don't think I have to tell you I don't own FOP because it would take a more storyline directed path and the characters would age! Also more would be done with the future, (duh). Read and Review and pray I can update soon!


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as the chair was off and the helmet was off his head, he collapsed in Veronika's arms. "Good job, kid." She congratulated the twelve year-old boy limp in her arms.

"What happened?" Trixie and Chester ran over to her and Sanjay, with Elmer's help, worked on getting everyone back to work.

"That chair put a strain on his brain. I should get him to-" Veronika was cut off as Tim slowly stood.

"You okay?" Chester asked.

Tim shot a glace at his friend then tackled him to the ground. "You moron! How dare you show that without my consent!" Trixie had to pull Tim off the young mechanic.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked frantically.

Tim broke away and threw a punch at Chester. Because he was still recovering from the chair, the punch was sluggish and Chester easily swatted it aside. "Did I miss something?" Chester asked as Veronika and Trixie struggled to restrain their furious friend.

"I only wanted you guys to see those memories!"

"Why?"

Tim sighed. "Those are my memories, duh! They include my thoughts and opinions about other! You saw life through my eyes, you learned about my life in a way that only a telepath could."

"What's wrong with that?" Veronika asked.

Tim turned to Chester, who flinched expecting another fight. "How do you view Trixie now?" he asked. "Has that alternate memory changed or added anything to your view of Trixie?"

"No." Chester replied. Tim gave the blond teen a gaze that filled him with guilt. "Okay, okay, yeah, I do feel something different about her. That show changed my view of her…but not by much. I now also have added mean and rich to my list of her qualities."

"That's not all, I betting." Trixie murmured.

"This is dumb. Your memories of your other life shouldn't influence us. We're nothing like those… What should we call them?"

"Alternate memories?" Chester suggested.

"Yeah, 'alternate memories.' But that right there is the key to disrupting Victoria's reign over the Earth."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked.

"The whole thing was video taped...and more." Chester explained. "We now have a clear understanding of how it was before this nightmarish excuse of life came about. Shade is going to put together a video."

"What's gonna be on it?"

"A panoramic view of Vicksdale from your alternate memories."

"Uh, it was called Dimmsdale." Tim corrected.

"Ah,"

* * *

Crocker led his surrogate daughter through the outer court of her mansion. They were on their way to the dungeons where prisoners were being tortured. They descended the stairs to the dank cell room. "Look around you." Crocker inhaled the thick sweaty air.

Victoria shook her head. "It's not helping me." She complained.

"No," Crocker agreed. "It's not supposed to. It's supposed to make you feel worse!"

"Huh?" Victoria didn't understand.

Crocker lovingly rubbed her back. "My friend, your best ideas to…inspire the people come to you when you feel especially evil."

Victoria cruelly smiled. He was right. She came up with the torture chamber when she had starved herself for days. "You are so right. But before I think, I need a laugh." She walked to a control panel and pulled a lever back. The scream of a man accused of theft greeted her ears.

"What lever, may I ask, was that?" Crocker asked.

The young dictator smiled, "The Judas Cradle is very fun!"

Crocker's eyes began to tear, "I've taught you so well."

"C'mon, pops. I have an idea." Victoria motioned for them to leave the chamber as the man's screams echoed through the dank room.

* * *

Dwight stood at the entrance to the base. The day before was quite an adventure. He would've never guessed that Erebus was Lawrence's brother and that Lawrence's brother was also a Dark Soldier. The whole event was very confusing.

"Hey, care for company?" it was the former Dark Soldier Mario.

"Yeah, sure…whatever." Dwight gestured to the rock next to him.

Mario took the seat then fished around in his pocket and his hands came out with a juice packet. "I gotta say, the food at the med bay here is totally better than the food in the Tower's med bay."

"Hm." Dwight stared into the deep woods that protected and hid the underground base from Victoria's evil eye.

There was a moment of silence. "Soooo," Mario dragged out the word as he searched for something to say, "You friends with Molly?"

Dwight thought about his answer. He was friends with here, but he always hoped that they could be more. "Yeah," he voice cracked with his answer. "Why?"

Mario struggled not to smile and settled for a shrug. "I was just wondering what you were thinking when she brought me in."

Dwight blushed. "Well, I felt jealous. She never held me like that before."

Mario couldn't help but laugh that time. "No, genius, about her aiding a Dark Soldier, not that she was holding me up."

"Oh, well," Dwight cleared his voice, "I see." He turned to Mario. "Tell her nothing."

"Hey," Mario put his hands to his chest. "You can trust me."

"Right." Dwight replied sarcastically. "If you must know I felt betrayed. She might as well have brought Victoria in for lunch!"

"Ouch." Mario shrugged. "I guess I should've seen that coming."

"A-hehehe yeah," Dwight laughed with half-sarcasm.

There was silence between the two boys for a while. Both just listened to the sounds of nature.

* * *

A boy stood on the edge of a cliff. Many people in Vondon knew the cliff, but not many knew what lay beneath the cliff. There was water at the base, that was for sure, but after much research, this boy also discovered that beneath the waves was a tunnel; a tunnel that connected Vondon to the rest of EurAsia. After many late nights and close encounters, this rebel had found the exact location of the tunnel's entrance. Soon he'd be in EurAsia proper on his way to the North American Alliance.

"Shane! Wait up!"

Shane sighed. Of course he couldn't have done that research without help. His help was Chloe-Anne Stilltower, the hyperactive hacker of the Vondon Resistance branch.

The brown-haired computer expert finally caught up to Shane. "Whew, for a second I thought you were gonna leave me." She half-joked knowing very well how much Shane didn't want her company. She was too bubbly for his taste.

They both had similar childhoods; they both grew up on the farms of Vondon and both had their parents chosen as the Masters of the Games.

The Games was an event that was held once every two years. People would come from all over to try and beat each other to win the gold. If you won the gold, you be taken with Victoria to serve her. Your family would never see you again. It used to be a secret as to what happened next, but Chloe, wanting to know what happened to her parents, hacked a V-drone's optical interface and watched as Victoria placed the winners in capsules beneath her frightful tower and filled them with a yellow gas. This gas was later discovered to be a poison that would eat away at the brain but preserve the body when put in an oxygen-based aerosol from. The eeriest thing was that there was no struggle even as the prisoners realized that they were going to die. They could've easily overpowered Victoria for her guards were no where to be seen. Nevertheless, they chose to die with a smile on their face. That was just how much power Victoria had over the people of Earth.

When Chloe hacked the optical interface, she invited Shane to watch because he had suffered the similar fate. Both watched as their loved ones were ked into the death hall and placed in the capsules. Both cried when their parents died with a smile. But that's where the similarities ended. Shane vowed that day to kill Victoria with his bare hands and immediately trained himself in various forms of combat. He waited for the day Victoria would leave her haven of New Zealand. When the news that Victoria had arrived in Vicksdale reached his ears, he knew that this was his only chance.

Chloe on the other hand decided to bury the pain and the next day put her pretty face on in an effort to hide the pain. Instead of blaming Victoria like Shane did, she blamed herself had self-destructive tendencies only Shane knew about. He had saved her from committing suicide more than once. She had been friends with Chester before he moved to NAA. For her, helping Shane get to NAA was just an excuse to see her first and only love again.

"So, ready?" Chloe stepped to the edge and wavered.

Shane's hand flashed out and grasped her shoulder. He pulled her into his arms. "You were gonna jump, weren't you?" the thirteen year-old asked.

Chloe shrugged. "What do you care?"

Shane opened his mouth to speak but realized that he really only saved her life because it was the right thing to do. Though there was a nagging feeling that he couldn't understand, one he had only felt when he was with his parents. He hated Chloe for that. She could bring up feelings that he wanted to repress. "Let's just get this over with and jump," He said.

Chloe broke free and ran to the edge, only to be held back again.

"_With _darkchutes." Shane added.

"'With darkchutes.'" Chloe sarcastically repeated as she slipped her over-alls off leaving her in a white jumpsuit. "What does it matter? I did some calculations and it turns out that there is a one in 12,895,080,907 chance that we'll actually survive the plunge...even with the darkchutes-ahh!"

Shane pushed Chloe as she spoke off the cliff. He then jumped himself and pulled his chord. "Pull your chord." he instructed.

Chloe nodded and pulled her chord.

After a few minutes of falling, the duo made touch-down in the frigid waters. "Never tell me the odds." Shane said as they imerged in an underwater cavern.

Chloe rolled her eyes. _At least Evie would consider the odds.._ she thought to herself about Shane's girlfriend. According to the plan, she was to join them in Vicksdale about two months later.

"Okay, according to the map, we should go...this way." Shane started off to his left.

Chloe took one look at the ground and smirked. She was a hacker at heart and wasn't very good at outdoors skills, but from what she saw lying on the ground in front of her, she could guess that Shane was about to have a very interesting experience.

"One...two...three...four," Chloe counted the seconds.

There was a roar followed by a scream. Shane ran out of the cave he had entered at top speed followed closely by a wall of flame with the dark silhouette of a three-headed dragon.

Shane caught his breath and hid behind his friend. "You totally-huff-knew!" He fumed.

"Yeah...But I didn't want to tell you the odds." She responded smugly.

Shane frowned. "I could've been killed!"

"I thik he's kinda cute." Chloe smiled at the dragon. She turned to Shane, "We should name him! How about 'Snowball?'"

"It's now official; you're nuts." Shane made his way to the opposite tunnel.

The dragon growled. "Awww," Chloe sighed affectionatly. "He's lonely."

"No, you're lonely." Shane corrected. "Now let's go before he gets hungry."

The two teens began their journey to EurAsia mainland's surface.

* * *

Molly and Lawence were in the Training Room when a rebel entered. "Lawrence?" the kid, Del, adressed his commanding officer.

"Yeah?" Lawrence asked.

"Does you're mommy know you're here?" Molly teased.

Del was one of the few kids to be born into the resistance. He had both parents in the resistance, though they were split up; his father was in NAA and his mother was stationed here.

Del blushed. "Shut up." the tiny Asian muttered to Molly.

"Molly please go be mean somewhere else." Lawrence sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." She exited the chamber.

"Okay, what is it?"

Del handed Lawrence a data disk. "Shade sent this to all resistance leaders on high priority. I don't know what it is, but it's not normal for something this small to be on such high setting."

Lawrence read the title. "Uh, Del, call Molly in here and have Jonathon find Dwight, please."

five minutes later Molly was in front of Lawrence again. "Yes?"

"Read the title," He gently handed the disk to the raven-haired girl.

"'His Memories.'" She read. "Whose memories?"

"Tim's."

Molly remembered the events with the Special Ops team from Vicksdale. _The battery_. Now she remembered. "I guess he really was special." Molly half-shrugged.

Lawrence nodded. "As soon as Dwight gets here, I'll play it."

After a couple minutes passed, Molly ventured to break the silence. "Sooo, how come your bro was a Dark Soldier?" she asked.

"Heh, heh, this old story. If I had a nickel...okay, so My parents willingly gave my brother up to the Dark Soldier training program begause of his 'Warrior Gene,' the gene that supposedly is in every person but is only active in few people."

"yeah, yeah, yeah, it gives the person superhuman abilities but the power must be harnessed to be used 'correctly' according to Victoria. I know about the stupid gene."

"Oh, well I didn't have the gene at the time-"

"Wait, 'at the time?' I thought it was determined at birth?"

"Yes and no. It can be caught at birth but everyone can develop it, though it will never be as...destructive and powerful as a fully developed Gene. Now can I finish?"

"Some other time." Dwight interupted. His thin body casted an eerie shadow on the two. "What is it you wanted to show me?"

"Us."

"Huh?"

"Us," Molly corrected. "It wasn't just you that went on that mission." she reminded.

"Okay, _us_. What did you want to show _us_?"

Lawrence inserted and started the disk. "Lock the doors." he instructed.

Dwight did so and then the lights went off. Shade's form from midchest up appeared and he began to speak. "Lawrence, my friend, I am glad you have recieved this. This disk contains data that Vicky would no doubt want destroy even more than she wants the Resistance eliminated."

Molly's eyebrows went up.

"This disk holds the memories of another time and dimension from our greatest member in the Vicksdale Resistance Branch; Timothy Xerses Turner." Shade's image faded out and what replaced it sent chills through the spines of all three in the room; it was the sky. No swirling oppressive clouds, no v-drones buzzing about, no attack planes, not a Dark Soldier in sight.. Molly nearly fainted and Dwight had to be supported by Lawrence who himself was finding it hard to believe that he was staring at the true sky.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Mario asked as he entered the room.

Everyone broke their gaze from the screen and looked at him. "How'd you get in?" Dwight asked.

"Former Dark Soldier; do you have to ask?" Mario sarcastically responded. Then he saw the screen "How'd you get video of the sky?" he asked. "Normal drone cameras don't survive that high."

"What do you mean?" Lawrence asked.

"Oh, Victoria's castle and all Dark Soldier establishments are buit to allow access to the sky."

Mario watched as their faces fell.

"You didn't know that, did you?" he asked slowly.

Lawrence shook his 'no.' "You've seen the sky first hand." he stated.

Mario sheepishly nodded.

"Okay, then. Another reason to hate you." Molly muttered with a forced smile.

Mario hung his head.

* * *

All around the word, Resistance leaders were watching the video of Tim's memories; all were touched and inspired with a new hope. Tim was officially considered the most powerful person in the resistance, some considered him greater than Shade.

"Congrats." Trixie congradulated her firend. "You've just inspired the whole resistance that there is something to fight for."

Sanjay patted Tim on the back. "Ya know, I've always believed that there was something wrong with this world and that it wasn't always this way."

"Really now?" Tim asked.

"Yeah," Trixie responded. "In fact, he was the first one to instill doubt about Victoria's reign. Aside from my parents."

"Where are your parents?" Tim asked.

Trixie turned away. "Dead. They were slightly reluctant to give me up to the Dark Soldier program. That inkling of resistance brought them a swift, but painful death."

"'Swift _and _painful?'" Tim asked.

"Yeah. Their bodies were filled with electricity then exploded." She shuddered.

"How do you know?"

"They forced me to push the trigger. Everyday I wake up, there's a picture of them in my mind to remind me that I killed my parents."

* * *

Molly opened her toolbox and retrieved a wrench. A jeep tire was punctured during a practice run. She grunted as she removed the bad tire then reached for the good tire, but a shadow fell over her back. "Who is it?" She asked with no emotion. The view of the sky was so magical that she felt dead when the whole video ended.

"Me," Mario responded. "I want to take you somewhere."

"Like a date? 'Cause I'm not in the mood for fun." She threw the wrench into the box and faced the former foe.

Mario grinned. "You'll love this place. Believe me." He got in the jeep and motioned for her to join.

"You are aware it is missing a tire?" Molly smirked.

Mario blushed, _Oops_! "Uh, yeah, just waiting for you to put on the other tire."

"Right."

Three minutes later they were cruising the outskirts of the town heading for the Tower. "Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll see," was Mario's only reply.

Finally they were at the base of a guard Spire. "Okay, follow closely."

Three flights of stairs later they were standing in a capsule and it was shooting from the Spire into the air. It landed on a platform and with a hiss of the pressureized doors opening, they stepped onto the floating island.

"Okay what is this?" Molly asked cautiosly.

"Just look up." Mario instructed.

"Fate..." She looked at Mario and smiled widely. "Sweet, sweet Fate. This is the place?"

"Yep, this is were Dark Soldiers come to see the sky."

Molly glanced around her but saw no Dark Soldiers. "Where are they then?"

Mario turned his eyes to the metalliod floor. "How old does this platform look?"

"About half a year, why?"

"Its twenty-seven years old." he corrected.

"Holy crap! It looks so new!"

"Yeah, no Dark Soldiers come up here."

"Why not? It's the sky! I mean, don't they get sick of seeing the gray swirls?" Molly was astonished.

"They do what Victoria tells them. They have no free will. Just becasue it is here doesn't mean they want to see the sky."

Molly sat on the edge and began to cry. _They have the oppurtunity to see what the rest of humanity can't and they brush it off as an uneeded luxury?_

Mario sat next to her and held her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

"What?"

"The sunrise." he pointed to the array of colors that ranged from red and orange to blue and purple.

"Yes very." She kissed him.

Then the two just sat and watched the sunrise.

* * *

"Okay! Jump!" The copilot pushed Shane and Chloe out of his jet and watched them plummet.

"This is totally cool!" Shane yelled.

"Chloe threw up in response."Sure-ugh-what ever-hurck-you say."

After a short freefall time, the two opened their parachutes and floated to the ground. after landing, Chloe cut the parachute away from her body in disgust. "Stupid archaic technology. Can you believe he didn't have darkchutes!?"

"Yeah, yeah, what a shame." Shane replied without enthusiasm. He retrieved the card that the pilot had given him. 'Don't unfold it 'till you touch the ground. Then give it to the man in the blue suit.' the pilot had instructed him. "What the hell!" The card was just blue on both sides. "Oh, well." The two walked to the nearest town according the the GPS system in Chloe's palmtop computer. Upon entry on man stood out; a man in a blue suit. "Here, sir," Shane handed the man the card. "I think this is for you."

Even the man's face was covered in blue cloth. He nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He led them to an old wine cellar and pointed to some seats. They sat and he removed his head covering. His face was covered in blue tattoes.

The two teens recoiled in their seats. "Whoa! Who are you?" Chloe asked.

"You can call me Mister Blue. The man who sent you is an agent of mine."

"Are you part of the Resistance?" Shane asked.

Chloe punched his arm and frowned at him. _Moron!_

Mr. Blue chuckled. "No, no, no, no, but I am part of a different resistance and I can a sure you that you are in good hands. I will take you where you want to go, Vickstralia, but you'll be doing some jobs for me along the way. And I'll be with you to help and make sure you do them, correctly."

"Extorion. I see." Shane thought over the deal. Mr. Blue seemed okay, maybe this deal would help them out a lot. Perhaps his group could join the resistance.

Chloe thought otherwise. "My partner and I need to talk it ov-"

"It's done. We accept."

Chloe shot Shane an evil are-you-out-of-your-mind-we-barely-know-this-guy! look. After being her friend for years, he knew exactly what each look meant. "It's okay!" he assured her. "Besides, his name is so cool and mysterious."

Chloe rolled her eyes and again questioned again their friendship.

* * *

A/N: Wow that took too long, but school is just...sigh. Anyhow as you can tell, slower updates. Much slower. Well thanks for staying with me, we're about half way through the story! "Yay!. Read and Review. Shane is SuperPoofs character btw. Woo hoo! PSAT's are over!


	7. Chapter 7

"Where were you two last night?" That was the first thing Dwight asked them.

Mario and Molly had spent the night on the floating island, which Molly named Manana (heh heh, references!), looking at the stars. Mario, because he was still free when he was a Dark Soldier, pointed out constellations and showed her shooting stars. The night couldn't have been better because the moon was full and there was a meteor shower.

Molly and Mario shared a smile which just infuriated Dwight even more.

* * *

"Alright, you've got us here; what do you want?" Tim asked.

Sanjay smirked. "Krystal hacked a security frame in Victoria's castle and has come up with a way to play the Dimmsdale Memories on all screens in the world."

"That's great! What's the catch?"

"To set it up, are you ready for this?" Sanjay paused and waited for both teens to nod. "You'll have to infiltrate the castle and insert the data disk manually."

"What?" both exclaimed.

"There's no way we could do that! That place is guarded twenty-four seven!" Tim exclaimed.

Sanjay chuckled. "Heh, yeah, well, I thought you'd be up for it."

"Wait, say what? You're not still signing us up for that suicide mission, are you?" Trixie asked

Sanjay shook his head. "Nope."

Trixie and Tim blew a sigh of relief.

"There is no need to sign you up since Shade has already done so."

Trixie's jaw dropped and Tim smacked his forhead. "Hello death wish."

"Might as well start writing my will." Trixie cried out.

"Hey, hey, no need to be, er, sad. Heh, heh." Sanjay chuckled awkwardly. "In retrospect, maybe I should've asked first."

"No, gee. Ya think?" Tim shouted.

"You leave tomorrow. Gripe and groan all you want, but you know the rules."

Trixie flared her nostrils. "Right; you sign up, you do it."

"Only problem is we didn't sign up!"

* * *

"What is it you plan to do?" Crocker asked.

"I've been reading many books from the 'other world' and have discovered that some powerful world leaders would issue rallies to gain the people's support to make themselves more user friendly and to give the masses a false feeling of security and friendship. That's going to be my plan for now."

Crocker frowned. "That's not too violent." he stated.

"Yes," Victoria agreed, "But it will lead to a very...bloody battle." She spread out a map of Vicksdale and explained her plan.

Crocker's frown didn't leave his already crinkled face, however. "I fail to see how a policical rally promoting peace will provoke a bloody battle."

"Simple. The Resistance will no doubt try to kil me at the rally. Half of the attendees will be Ninjas in disguise."

"How will they try to kill you if you will be here?" Crocker asked.

"Actually, I'm going to be the speaker."

* * *

Chloe stretched her arms out wide. She and Shane had been on a train heading to Blightsdville with the enigmatic Mr. Blue. She looked at her friend. It was obvious what he had been doing the entire night; cleaning and priming his guns.

Shane looked at her and smiled warmly. "Morning sunshine!" he greeted.

"Hmph. Good thing it's not a 'good morning' from you, because of you I'm stuck here with a creepy dude with a passion for blue!"

"Hush!" Shane quieted the grumpy girl. "He can still hear you!" he hissed.

Chloe looked skeptically at Mr. Blue. He was sitting cross-legged in the darkest corner of the train car, eyes closed. "There's no way."

"I'm telling you, he's awake."

"Nope. He was sitting like that when I went to sleep. Now when I wake, he's like that again. There is no way on Earth that he's awake."

"You sure? He's been sitting like that for hours. He hasn't moved, but I'm pretty sure he is consious."

"No, no, no, and no again. He's asleep."

"You'd be surprised. " Mr. Blue spoke. "Meditation, on my level, is a mental place on the line between the subconsious and the consious." He slowly stood and faced the two teens. "Maybe you should listen to Shane more often.' He commented.

"Maybe if he'd listen to me more often I would." Chloe bitterly spat back.

"You still feel you can't trust me?" Mr. Blue asked.

Chloe nodded.

"Gee, that's too bad because soon I will be all you will have left."

* * *

"Good news, team." Sanjay entered the rec room waving a paper around in the air excitedly. "We have a prime time for the mission."

Michael snatched the paper from the older boy's hand and read it. "Wow. This is perfect."

"What?" Trixie approached the boy.

"According to this, Victoria is holding a rally at City Hall for the 37th Annual Weekend of Love Festival." Michael scrunched up his nose. "We've never had an annual thingy. Have we?"

Tim sighed at the announcement. "Yeah, well whatever Victoria says is truth here." Tim plopped down into the bean bag again and thumbed through his weekly weapons catalog. "And those cursed bar code things don't help much."

"Says here that she's personally attending the meeting personally...even speaking!"

"Alright!" Jenny popped up. "It's settled. I'm gonna put a nice bullet through her head that day."

Sanjay winced. "Not as graphic as I would've said it, but yeah, that's the Idea."

Trixie and Tim both shook their heads.

"Why not?" Sanjay asked.

"Why would she be starting a festival now?" Trixie inquired. "She's trying to trap us; draw us out so she can have her Ninjas and Dark Soldiers pick us off."

"It's so obvious. Besides, if we do kill her, the people don't know what we know and would revolt and try to save her somehow." Tim put in.

Jenny sighed knowing they were right. "Okay then, what do you propse we do?"

A. J. entered the talk. "We go in." he handed a disc to Trixie. "This is a disc containing you-know-what. You're going into the castle when Victoria holds her celebration."

Michael scratched his head. "But if we don't attack then won't she know something's wrong?"

"True. We'll get Cassidy and Remy to lead an airstrike against the festeval. Nothing major, though."

* * *

Lawrence cocked a grin at his sibling. "So, I heard you showed Molly the sky, huh?"

"Yeah,"

"Is that all you showed her?"

Mario's face twisted in disgust. "What? No, you perv!"

Lawrence laughed. "YOu fool, I meant the fact that you could see the Tower from that point."

"And the fact that you could get to the main office above radar?"

"Yeah, that. Geez what were you thinking?"

Mario shook his head. "Naw, I was too int he moment. All she wanted was teh sky and that was all I wanted to give her. I didn't what to ruin her moment."

"Good choice. But as for this attack of the Tower that you propose is possible from Manana, do you really think it possible for your entire Resistance force to launch off of the island onto the Tower itself?"

"Of course. They can't move the Tower and we'll be too small for thier oh-so-advanced radar to track us" Mario assured. "Just talk with Shade and see if he gives the go-ahead."

Lawrence nodded and went to his task.

* * *

Shane dropped the bloody knife and looked at the body before him in disgust. _He didn't deserve to die like that... _The small cow's blood began to drench his shoe. "Ew."

Chloe laughed. "I thought you knew it all about camping and roughing it?"

Shane threw her a look of disgust. "I hate you."

"I know."

"Don't hate the enemy of your enemy. Instead embrace her." Mr. Blue said cryptically.

The two just stared at the man in false fascination. "Oh great wise one!" Shane proclaimed in an obvious mocking tone. "Tell us more of your proverbs, bestow upon us more of your wisdom!"

Chloe giggled.

"There is no need to mock me." Mr. Blue replied in a calm tone. "Soon you will want me to speak and I will not be there for you."

Shane rolled his eyes then dragged the cow's carcass over to the fire.

* * *

Today was the day that Victoria was holding her festival of celebration. All over town people were talking about the celebration; welcoming it with open arms and no questions. Many even spoke about how wonderful last year's festival was. Elmer shook his head in disgust. He was sent on a mission that was perfect for an Exile; reconnaissance. No one would remember him here. As long as he didn't make a scene and the Ninjas that were no doubt incognito in the crowd didn't notice him, he was able to relay everything that was happening at the fesival to the men and women back at the base.

Elmer's stomach growled. "I'm hungery," he whispered to himself. He looked to his sides and saw a food cart. He could easily swipe an orange from the stand, but there was a crowd of people gathering about the stand to buy the fruits. _Oh, well. I'm an Exile._ He calmly made his way to the stand and waited for a woman to buy an orange then he snatched the lovely fruit from her hand.

The Woman, who seemed to resemble a nice old lady with a hunchback and neck-ear, glared at him in surprise. "Hey that was-!" suddenly the look of shock passed from her face, replaced with a black stare into nothingness. Then she just turned away without even acknowledging the fact that she had been robbed.

Elmer smiled as he bit into teh orange, skin and all. _Sometimes it pays to be the outcast!

* * *

_Tim and Trixie looked out the window of Remy's super-jet. "Think we're ready for this?" Tim aske dhis good friend.

"Ah, are you doubting our abilities?" Joked the girl.

Tim shook his head. "I appreciate that you're trying to lighten the air but do you realize what we are about to attempt to do?"

Trixie gravely nodded. "We are about to parachute to the castle, one of the most guarded structures in NAA. Then we're gonna waltz down teh corridors and try to hack the video system to project your memories onto every screen in the world." She took a breath.

"Yep. so easy." Remy added.

"For you," Tim shot back, "All you have to do is fly the get-there plane."

"_And _lead a minor air strike!" Remy replied with the same amount of urgency.

"True."

"Yeah, get ready, the point is almost here."

The two teens suited up for the dive. Like the mission to steal the chair, they were outfitted with the latest Resistance tech. Their suits were skin-tight jumpsuits that could bend light around any body able to fit snuggly into the suit. The suits were also tear-resistant, fire-resistant, and insulated to prevent electric attacks. They did recall the words of the one who gave them the suits; "Jus don't get shot!" Not teh best parting words, but still, they felt safer in these suits than in the ones from their last infltration mission.

"Jump!" The two infltrators leaped from the plane for the forboding mansion that waited below them.

As soon as they were below radar, the opend their dark chutes and parachuted down with little sound. "Voporal Sword ready. Dark daggers sheathed but ready." Tim read off each of his weapons and their status. Due to a near fatal error during a battle between his squad and some Ninjas, Tim carried more blades than guns now. "Trusty pulse gun primed. And energy rifle carbine with sniper settings primed."

"Same here, 'cept for teh pulse gun part."

"Let me guess, Trixie; the Soul peeler?" Tim asked unimpressed.

"Oh, yeah." Trixie looked into the dark view plate of Tim's visor but didn't need to see his face to know the look she was receiving. "I'm positive it will work." She began the usual tangent about how she had tweaked some part of the weapon that was supposed to drain a person of his or her life force.

"Let's just go before we get spotted." Tim sighed as he and Trixie vaporized their darkchutes then stealthily ran to the nearest guard tower. Tim hacked the lock and Trixie tossed a gas grenade into the room to take out the guards. As soon as the last body hit the floor, they entered and made their way to the video room.

* * *

Elmer was running scared. He was hungry again and had stolen again thinking that nothing bad would happen, but he had stolen from a Ninja. Needless to say the Ninja was chasing him ready to squash him like a fat, boiled bug. _I sure hope the airstrike come soon!_ He thought as he raced down the street. He saw Victoria get on the stage and reached for the trigger to call the airstrike, but then felt a burning feeling on his left leg. He looked down in horror to see that there was a hole about two inches in diamiter through his left thigh. With a scream he fell and the Ninja was on him.

* * *

"Was that it?" Cassidy asked skeptically. "What signal was pretty weak."

"Yeah," Remy buffed up the receiver onthe nose of his plane. "But that's the only signal that comes through this channel so that must be it."

Cassidy sighed adn banked with his firend. He and Remy had never really spoken much before, but as soon as the two were put together for this mission, they struck up an awesome bond. Both loved planes and both were about the same age, Cassidy just two years older at 19 years and Remy at 17. The flying aces slowed their birds as they neared the target. "Yep, there she is in all her dictator glory." Cassidy hissed his teeth as he watched the young dictator talk to the poeple, her red hair flowing like fire. "Time to fake a bombing run!" He released teh minor explosives housed in his plane's belly and Remy did the same.

* * *

"So this is what it looks like?" Lawrence stared at the sky. "But not why I'm here. Where is it?"

"Over yonder." Mario gestured to the top of a dark tower just above the clouds. "That's the Tower."

"Where are the Spires?" Lawerence looked in every direction from Manana but did not see the pointier towers.

"No where. That's why radar doesn't work up here. Why radar a place that they think no one has access to?"

"True."

The two brothers looked at what they could see of the Tower for a little while longer. "No what?" Mario sighed anxiously.

"Sh sh shut up." Lawerence whispered. "You've seen it, Molly's seen it. My turn."

* * *

Tim and Trixie were walking thorugh the royal corridors of the Castle. Not a guard was in sight. "This is really eerie." Tim mentioned.

"Quiet!" Hissed Trixie, "They might hear us!"

Tim shook his head, "We are wearing helmet and are using radio contact, there's no way they can hear us. Look ahead." There was a room with three guards. "Take 'em out. I'm gonna go down this tunnel and see what's there."

"Roger."

Trixie moved with cat-like grace to teh door and rapped on it. "Who is there?" Came a dull response. THe door slowly opened and the Dark Soldier stepped out, "Hello?"

Trixie placed her camouflauged hand on his chest and the sonic palm fired, shattering his chest. Immediatly the other two werer upon her, tryng in vain to slash at her with their knives. But the suit really was tear-resistant and she knocked one of the two unconsious with a fierce uppercut.

She turned to the last one, "Guess what? You're next." she removed her prototype weapon and pulled the trigger. Tiwn beams of energy flew from the device and struck the poor soldier, sapping him of strength. "Hm. It worked." She entered the room.

* * *

Tim ran to the end of the corridor and saw that it led to a large balcony. He warily made his way, pillar to pillar, to the ceter of the large grey room. THe re was a sound of scuffling of feet then the slam of a door. "Crap." Instantly his camoflauge was on and he stood straight as an arrow like he had been trained.

"Your Highness, please..." It was the unmistakable voice of a Dark Soldier. He was trying to reason with someone. Tim prayed it wasn't Victoria.

"Please, Greg, just leave me be!"

"But you must understan-"

"NOW!" The female of the two bellowed at the soldier. The door slammed again and there were footsteps coming closer and closer. Though he knew the voice was too sweet to belong to Victoria, Tim was still afraid. Finally the person walked past the pillar and Tim let out a sigh of relief. _Wait...what? Why was I afraid? I'm invisible!_ He reminded himself.

The girl, no older than his age of thirteen, was in a crystal blue dress with pony tails he knew all too well. _Tootie..._

The girl turned at Tim almost gasped. She was beautiful. No braces, no glasses, wonderful figure. _And she's evil. _Tim had to remind himself, _And I love Trixie and i think she loves me!_

"I know you are here, boy." Tootie spoke. "You can't hide from me, I know where you stand."

Tim prayed that she was talking about another Dark Soldier. But she walked right up to him and smiled coyly. "C'mon out, kid," She said again.

Tim knew there was nothing he could do and turned off the camo. "Gonna sick the guards on me?" he asked her.

"Are you gonna save me from my heritage?" she asked sweetly staring into his visor with her brown eyes.

Tim knew he might regret what he was about to do, but he did it anyway. He removed his helmet and met her sweet innocent gaze with a hard, but curious gaze.

Tootie sighed. "You have no Idea what it is like living with the Dictator-forever for an older sister."

Tim refrained from smirking. In his alternate life Vicky had babysit so much that he was pretty sure he had an idea. "Nope." he replied.

"Great. I thought the Resistance sent you here to save my ass, not to just steal."

"We are not stealing," Tim sneered. "We are hacking and freeing the people."

"Wait what? You mean that what Mr. Blue told me was wrong?"

"What? Mr. who?"

"Blue, he's an agent of yours. Level 5 he said he was."

"Not that I know." _And I know a lot. _Tim shook his head. "look, my partner is waiting for me, if you're not gonna call the guards, them I'm gonna leave."

"Wait!" Tootie wrapped her arm around his. "when can I see you again?"

_A hot girl likes me? Then again it IS Tootie. Same personallity, different body. _Tim was unprepared for the question. "Uh, can you get out of the Castle?"

Tootie released his arm and gave him a look. "I maybe stuck living with red dragon, but I'm no damsel in complete distress, here."

"Okay, meet me in towns square tomorrow and 11:53 p.m."

"I'll do that! Until we meet again!" She threw a handkerchief to him.

Before Tim could say anything, there was the painful sound of nails running down a metal door. Tootie pushed Tim to the corridor he came out of. "Hurry! before Crocker gets in!"

"Crocker? why-"

"Shhh! I'll explain later!" Tootie gave him one final shove then instructed him to activate his cloaking device.

* * *

Elmer awoke in the street alone. The Ninja had left him for dead, people were running in every direction and buildings were collapsing. A Dark Soldier on a megaphone was instructing everyone to stay calm and there was a rope hanging in front of him with an angel holding out his hand. No it was only Cassidy trying to airlift him to his jet.

* * *

Trixie ran. She was almost to the video room but two Dark Soldiers were hot on her tail. There was a scuffle and then a bang. She chanced a look behind her and saw one Dark Soldier dead and the other fighting with Tim. Tim placed his hand squarely on the man's head and the sonic palm jellied the man's brain. "Go!" he shouted to her.

With a nod the girl was off. She opened the door and pushed the disc in. She looked back and threw a thumbs up at Tim, but he wasn't there. In his place was a large hole in the floor and two Ninjas with rifles firing into it. _Ho, crap! _Trixie checked her HUD and was relieved that his vital signs were still good, though his adrenaline meter was barely stable. _I have to get out of here and fast! _She though. The disc was finished, and she turned to leave but ran ito the worst person possible; Crocker.

The old man stretched out his hands and zapped her with his gauntlets. She was out cold. Crocker smiled a great victory against the Resistance was finally granted.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I kinda ran behind! Hope it was wrth the wait!


	8. Chapter 8

Trixie awoke in a small concrete brick room. It was dimly lit by a lamp hanging by a chord over the old wooden table in front of her. The chair she was sitting in was also wood that had interesting red splotches across the back. She sighed full well knowing what they were. There were two windows in the room: one directly in front of her that was half the size of the wall, and the other which was the same size but behind her. _Maybe I can just cut the bindings on my-_ she stopped the thought short when she realized she had been stripped of her suit and left to her bare essentials; a tight tank top and a loose-fitting gray camouflage pants. Her tank top was stained red. _God help me. _She prayed.

* * *

Tim kept running. The Dark Soldiers were right behind him and gaining fast. _No fair that they have the hovercycles._ The teen muttered to himself. "Sooo gay." He hopped a fence into a ditch and flicked the camo switch. It fizzled. "Must have been damaged when they blasted me with the EMP wave. There is only one thing to do at a time like this." he retrieved two small proximity mines from his utility pouch and threw them behind him. "Duck and cover!" he yelled to himself as a joke.

The explosion was powerful and deafening.

* * *

"Hello there, Pretty." It was a coarse elegant voice that jarred Trixie from her meditation. She looked into the face of an old man in a large red robe. She recognized him as the one who had sent the electric wave through her body only... what time was it? How long ago was that? The helmet had displayed the time, but now it was gone. "Aren't you gonna say something?" he asked with mock care.

Trixie frowned.

"Tough, poppet aren't you?" He crouched down and looked her in the eyes. "Beautiful eyes, girl. It would be a pity for them to loose their spark so young." his bony finger traced her face and she cringed. "T-03, come in here!"

A Dark Soldier with an energy baton entered the holding cell. "Boss?"

"You are to guard Miss Tang for the remainder of her 'visit.'"

T-03 didn't even look at her. Not that Trixie wanted him to. To this day she still harbored a fear of the pupil-less green glowing eyes of a Dark Soldier's mask. He just nodded and stood still as his leader exited the chamber. There was a his as the door closed then another as the secondary door to the entire floor closed.

The Dark Solder sighed and relaxed from his attention stance. "It is a pain to do that for the old prune..." he muttered as he pulled up a chair for himself. "So, how are you?" he removed his mask and his gray eyes smiled at her.

Trixie scowled and searched for the right thing to say. She recalled that Tim had told her some good retorts from the other world. "Yo Mamma." she muttered.

The Dark Soldier arched his eyebrow. "That's a first. Let's try again. Hi, my name is T-03, but you can call my Tommy." then he leaned in close and whispered. "I know that we Dark Soldiers are supposed to not have last names, but after research, I discovered it so my full name is-" he leaned back and spoke at a normal tone. "Thomas 'Tommy' Instinct Turner. What is yours?"

_Turner?! _Trixie's eyes went wide.

* * *

Tim was lucky, the blast had incinerated both hovercycles that had been chasing him, but it had also shot him into the air and great velocity. But he was able to land in a conveniently placed pond with minimal damage. "Ow I think I broke something..." he groaned as he waddled out of the water onto dry land and set off his S.O.S beacon.

* * *

"Finally found you, you loner!" Cassidy pulled Tim into his craft and zoomed back to base. "I got 'im." he reported as he stepped out of his craft followed by Tim. They were at the base an hour later.

Veronika saw that Tim was holding his arm and instantly rushed to his side barking out medical orders and rushing him to a med room.

In all the excitement, Tim didn't see Trixie, but assumed she was back.

After his arm was evaluated he was told by Veronika that his arm just suffered a minor sprain and that he'd be good to go within hours. "Thanks." Tim said to her. "Where's Trixie?"

Veronika gave him a blank stare. "You two are always together, I thought she was right behind you."

"You mean she isn't here?" Tim bolted out from his bed and ran from the room.

"Tim! Wait!" Veronika chased after him. "You're not ready to exert such stress on your body!"

"Please tell me Trixie is here?"

Sanjay shook his head and checked his palm top. "Nope, there is no one who has put in a log that she came back." He turned to a computer and jacked his palm top in. "Computer. Access the video records of Kristen Tang's helmet."

After a second there was a harsh buzz and the word 'No' flashed on the screen. Sanjay frown and Tim's heart rate sped up. "Audio Records?"

The playback began -"Go!"- It was Tim's muffled voice as he fought off the Dark Solders. His order to her to keep going. there were clicks and whirs as she loaded the data disk then a voice -*cackling laugh*- then silence.

Sanjay turned to his teammate. "We don't have a clue what that was?"

Tim couldn't talk. He knew that laugh and before he left Tootie, she warned him about Crocker. _It can't be..._

"Finally!" Veronika had caught up to Tim. "These heels are killing me! You, sir, are returning to the med room."

"No! I have to go back and Trixie. I can't leave her!"

Veronika smirked and punched his hurt arm. "Ouch."

"I'm sure you do, tough guy. But in the shape you are in, you could be killed. I'm sorry, but you need rest."

"You can't make me!" Tim hissed.

Veronika shook her head and a smile played on her red lips. "Actually I can." she raised a needle, but he kicked it away.

"See, I'm fine."

"You're right, go." Tim turned to leave, but his held his arm. "But before you go, I just want you to know this; I always liked you like a brother, but please, just one kiss for reassurance that you won't die?" she put on her best pouting face.

_Girls are falling for me left and right! I love this universe!_ "Sure." he leaned in and kissed her, but didn't see the sly smile she wore as their lips met. "Now go, hero. Save the girl you love."

Tim ran for the exit.

Sanjay put his hands on his hips and gasped. "I can't believe that you let him go and kissed him! I thought you and Ned were..."

What? A couple? Just 'cause we had one date doesn't mean we are together."

"I've gone on missions and you never kissed me good-bye." Sanjay puckered up.

"Okay big boy, if you insist, just wait a second." she turned and Tim was nearly to the door. "three...two...one. Stop."

Tim fell to the ground. Veronika sighed. "Knock out powder-strips are on my lips for the ones who refuse conventional means of anesthetics. Now about that longed-for kiss..."

But Sanjay was huddled over his computer.

* * *

Mr. Blue had led the two kids all the way to the outskirts of Blightsdale, the town two days from Vicksdale, the ultimate destination.

Throughout the entire trip, the part of three had stolen, hopped on and off of trains and killed animals. The two teens had also put up with Mr. Blue's mysterious sayings and ways.

Chloe reached for her her backpack of belongings and made her way to the edge of the train where Shane and Mr. Blue were waiting. "Okay, let's get a rundown of this jump. Cuz it is from such a high height that if you land wrong we WILL break something we will no doubt need later. Like, oh I dunno, our necks!"

"Hey, you're the emo one who wants to commit suicide every so often, why are you complaining?"

"Because, dofus-brain, I now see i am so close to Chester. I can wait to die." Chloe sighed dreamily.

Shane rolled his eyes and turned to Mr. Blue. "Ready yet?"

"No. Good things come to those who wait."

"Awww a moral reference. Cute." Shane looked at the ground flashing beneath the train.

The train was suspended on wires. Instead of a track, these wires ran through the top of the train not the bottom. But jumping from the height was deadly. They were at least five stories up and the ground below was rocky with patches of snow as Holiday 5 approached.

Holiday 5 was a holiday that ushered in the end of the year and prepared people for Holiday 1, the first day of the new year. On Holiday 5 people exchanged gifts and money and were free from work for one week. (Yes it is christmas).

"Okay, get ready." Mr. Blue instructed. "Be careful when you jump, if you hit the energy beams that support the train, you'll be killed."

Shane sighed. "Lovely."

"And.... Jump!" the three jumped at that moment and plummeted to the ground.

"This feels like the jump our first jump!" Chloe yelled the Shane.

Shane couldn't reply. He was concentrating with his eyes closed. He managed to steal a glance at Mr. Blue. He was calm and his tattoos were... glowing? _Cool._ Shane closed his eyes once more.

* * *

"Okay so what are you suggesting?" Veronkia asked as she administered Gary's daily pain medicine then turned to A. J. and Sanjay. "I should return to active duty? You know I cant do that!"

"Why?" A. J. asked.

"I'm your best doctor, that's why!" Veronika answered.

"Look, Vero, we all know the real reason you don't want to return to combat; the friendly fire. But we know that incident was just an accident!" Sanjay sat next to her. "It is in the past. You were scared."

"That's just it! I shouldn't have been! I had been in combat situations before!"

"But not alone! Shut up! The fact remains that you were scared and opened fire, just as we are trained."

"Yeah, killing Sam." Veronika heaved a sigh. "Look, just wait for Tim to recover and he can get her out."

Gary turned to the conversation. "Why? Where is Trixie?"

"She's captured in the Castle." Sanjay replied."And Veronika refuses to break in again."

Gary bolted up fro his bed, banging his head against the head board. "What? You have to get her out of there as soon as possible!" he shouted.

"Okay, okay, we know. Just calm down." Veronika restrained him.

"NO! You-but you don't understand. They will break her!"

Sanjay looked at the still weak boy. "What do you mean 'they?'" he asked slowly.

"He means the Dark Soldier, duh!" A. J. responded.

Gary shook his head. "Not Dark Soldiers, the Elite. The kind of soldier I was training to be before I broke free of the mind control."

"What, there are more kinds of soldiers than Ninjas and Dark Soldiers?"

"Of course! You didn't think it was that easy, did you?" Gary sat up now that he was sure they would listen. "You see, those are two of the classes of soldiers Victoria has in her army."

"So that means there could be...more?"

"Nope. There ARE more. I was being trained to be an Elite Dark Soldier, but I escaped. My brother, however,-"

"Tim." A. J. interjected with a know-it-all air.

"No, no, not Tim, Tom."

"Tom?" Sanjay asked. "Damn, how many brothers do you have?"

"Jus' two."

"Phew."

"But I have a sister." He received blank stares from everyone so he continued. "My bro, Tommy, is the top interrogator. He isn't a front line man, but with play mental games with his enemy. I've seen him lull prisoners into a false sense of security then... pounce!"

A. J. gasped. "We have to get her out. Where's Tim?"

"He's sleeping in his room. Why? He can't possibly go to face what ever army is hidden in that building." Veronika warned.

"Do we have a choice?" Sanjay asked.

Gary turned to him. "Why don't _you _ever go?"

Sanjay paused. "Well, I'm the brains of this outfit."

A. J. coughed.

"Okay. One of the brains."

Gary shook his head. "You are nothing like your father."

Sanjay didn't respond vocally, but his face showed all. He was surprised and hurt.

"Look, I'll go." Gary volunteered.

"Ha ha ha, no." Veronika gently pushed the teen back into his bed. "You're not going near that place until we are certain that you are no spy."

Gary's jaw dropped. "I just spilled a great secret and you _still_ don't believe I want to help the cause? I don't believe you people!"

* * *

"Very interesting. And you are certain that no Dark Soldiers guard that platform?"

Lawrence shrugged. "Why guard a place meant only for Dark Soldiers? Besides, even they don't use it!"

Shade shook his head. "That's too bad. But that breech of security is just what we need to get around their radar and take the tower. Outfit it with whatever you see necessary to defend it against an attack in case the Dark Soldiers actually catch wind of our plan."

Lawrence nodded then smartly saluted his dark leader. The back doors hissed as the hydrolic pumps pulled the door apart. He squinted as light filtered into his eyes. The briefing room had been dark for that meeting. Darker than usual as if Shade was outside the place he normaly broadcasted from.

Molly grabbed his arm just as his eyes adjust. "Molly! What's wrong?"

Molly smiled. "Mario's gonna tell some of us a story of his adventures as an elite Dark Soldier."

Lawrence frowned. "And you are smiling because?"

"Aren't you excited? I am. He's gonna tell us a story of his exploits behind the mask of the Dark Soldier! The documentaries we see on holoscreens never give us the true story-"

"Because the true story is disgusting!" Lawrence exclaimed.

Molly stopped.

"Have you ever stopped to think what the do? The kill people. Innocent people. They do this to enforce Victoria's law! Why would you want ot hear his story?"

Molly didn't answer, but she blushed and looked at her feet.

"Aha," Lawrence held her head up. "Look, Molly, I'm just warning you that you might hear somethings you don't want to hear and if he doesn't describe certain situations clearly, that means he doesn't want to remember them so don't push for them. And if he mentions Yuki only once, don't ask about her. Okay?"

Molly nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

"Dinner time, princess." Tommy pushed a plate across the table to Trixie.

Trixie slowly lifted her head and laughed.

"What is the matter?" Tommy asked. "Not hungery?"

"Starved, but it is hard to eat with your hands tied." Trixie replied sarcastically.

"Too true." Tommy replied, "Too true. We'll have to fix that." He unsheathed a dagger from his chest and cut one of her hand's binds.

Trixie looked at him, shocked. "Are you gonna cut the other one?"

"Yes."

"Why? Aren't you afraid I might try to escape?"

"Naw, man. I trust you." Tommy replied casually.

"You met me yesterday and I spat in your face. Yet you trust me?"

"Yeah."

_Maybe he's not so bad after all. I mean, he _is _Tim's bro._ Trixie waited as he cut the other bind. "Thanks, I suppose." she rubbed her aching rists then began to eat.

Tommy ate across from her, occasionally looking up at her. _I think he thinks this is a date!_ Trixie felt outraged and intrigued at the same time. THe thought of falling in love with her captor, her soon-to-be boyfriend's brother, bore some sort of taboo that attracted her.

"So..." Tommy looked at a stack of cards in his gloved hand for awhile then tossed them aside. "I hate this."

"What were those cards?"

"Interrogation questions, but I _abhor _interrogations."

"Why?"

Tommy's mouth turned south. "They can get quite nasty. 'Who do you work for?' Bang! "'I said, who do you work for?' Bang!' It's like that until the person is dead or they give info."

Trixie shifted in her seat. "Who do you work for?"

"Jeez, I wish I knew." he replied. "When I first signed on for the Dark Soldier corpes, I didn't think we would go down this way. I thought I'd be protecting the innocent, the people. Boy was I wrong."

"What makes you say that?" Trixie was eager for the inside scoop. If she ever escaped this cell, the info she would give would be invaluable; priceless. She had the young soldier in the palm of her hand.

"I remember my first kill. It wasn't a group of rebels like you or a former enemy country's pilot flying in the skys. Hell, it wasn't even a riot. It was a child. A small and unsuspecting child. He was crying because his parents being taken in for questioning. My senior officer told me to silence him, permanently. He said it would be a demonstration to the family. I did as I was told and without thinking bashed his head in with the butt end of my rifle then held the barrel to his shattered temple and pulled the trigger now he's dead." Tommy closed his eyes but tears still flowed. "I can't make it go away. I'm not proud of what I have done or what monster I've become."

Trixie stared at the floor. "Hot damn."

* * *

"I see that you brought some friends." Mario bit his inner cheek as he stared into the probing eyes focused solely on him. Each attendee had come with their own motive. Dwight came to scorn him and show reason to be angry with him. Edgar, a rebel who ended up being his bunk-mate attended for moral support. Ben, the guard he had disarmed his first day at base, was attending hoping to learn some of new fighting moves. Zaz attended to record the story for Shade. Albert attended just for the entertainment aspect. Molly attended because she... well, she liked him. Heck, he'd say that she _loved _him. It was obvious, he was just waiting for her to admit it. Lawrence came because Molly had dragged him along for the ride. "Here we go...

* * *

(This next segment is in the past. Chronicles Mario's first out-of-base assignment to the city of Sku-land; today's Auckland. It is from Mario's POV so it will be first person. every section break the story will switch between this narrative and the story. i.e. break one; the narrative. break two; Lawrence interjects and speaks)

It is two thirty-six in the morning and we are wide awake. Me and my team arm ourselves with the latest in stealthy force tech and make our way the the pier where our assault boat floats. With no sound, we make our way into the boat and strap ourselves in.

"Alright, listen up, you rookies!" Director Pete Vanhorn's harsh voice breaks the reverent silence. "This is your first mission outside of the safe playground you call 'base.' This is man's world. Where you show no emotion but show justice. Most likely they taught you to aproach any sitiation with an open mind and think about all your options in academy. Well guess what? You can just toss that shit out the window along with pre-action training and fear. The common folk can smell fear. As soon as you show mercy or flinch when they toss a pebble your way, your appearance of invulnerability is shed and they see any other action you do as a facade. Out here you survive on instict, luck, and hard core skills. Not skills you've learned, but your natural skills that you were born with.

The rookie on my right speaks. "So this means I wont be a frontline man? After all that is what I signed up for."

"No, You signed up to be a Dark Soldier. We choose what best suits you. Look at you, you're a human toothpick. You're a spy. The closest you'll get to fighting is a scout...maybe." Director Vanhorn walks up and down the aisle looking at us, muttering derogatory names at us as he inspects us. Then he gets to the girl across from me. "Stand up, girl."

She does so.

"What is your name?"

"Dark Soldier 1290." She replies. Her voice is beautiful and sweet like honey. There is an edginess in there though. The academy taught her well.

The Director smiles at her. "She has everything in order." He says again letting his eyes roam her body. She is lightly armored, obviously dressed to be a scout. Various pouches of ammunition, food, explosives and the like line her abdomen and thighs. Her mask is two colors, Light gray on top, dark gray on the bottom. "See this?" Director Vanhorn points at her. "This is the proper way a Dark Soldier behaves! Outside of the base, your name is your I.D. number!" He turns back to the girl. "Take off your mask, 1290."

She does so tentatively. "Ye-yes, sir." Her blond hair flows down her back, resting just above the beginning of her belt. Her green eyes are unnaturally bright, like a feline with a passion to kill. There is a scar above her left eyebrow and a small mole on her chin. I like her.

So does the Director and this is obvious from his smile. I like her, but I _don't _like that smile. Then the Director turns to me. he motions for me to stand and I stand, saluting him with my right fist across my chest on my left breast, legs together. "At ease, soldier."

"Sir," I respond. "My name is Dark Soldier 1984."

The Director intakes a sharp breath. "Ah I know about you 80's. You're a December Elite, right?" He smiles.

I don't like to brag and I tell him this.

"Nonsense!" He turns to the others in the belly of the belly of the boat an tells the story of my training legion. He starts with my full designation. "This is Dark Soldier 1984 December Elite of the Z-B Clan." From there he launches into the story that has grown old to my ears. After all, I was the leader of that defense force. At the end he turns to me. "So you have already experience in a _real _fight?"

I nod my head.

"I see you have your outfit to be a spy. Good choice. I like you, 1984."

"Thank you, sir." I sit and look at the girl 1290. She smiles at me. I smile back, but realize she has no idea for my mask is still on.

"Augh, boy. No one likes a suck up!" The Director was chewing out 78, the Dark Soldier next to me. I shake my head as we hit a bump on land. We are at the destination point. "Kick ass!" The Director says as we march out.

We stealthily make our way to the rendezvous point that our Director agreed our heavy artillery support would be. As we go, I feel a presence near me. It is the girl. She taps me twice quickly then once after a brief pause; the signal that she wants to switch to a private channel. This is illegal to do during a mission, but what won't a guy do for the girl, right? "What is on your mind, 1290?" I ask.

"Please," She responds, "Call me Yuki."

"Okay, Yuki. What's on your mind?"

"First, I want to know your name." She laughs.

"Mario."

"Second, all that jazz about defending your wing of the training center against the rebels, true?"

"Not completely. He left out the part where I got a blasted point blank by an Ion Cannon."

She stops walking.

"It's true, cross my heart, swear to die."

"S'cool. It's just not everyday I meet a guy that lives through a war before we are officially dispatched for action." Her hand brushes against mine as my team begins to sweep the RZ area. She does this purposefully. I look at her and I swear she is smiling flirtatiously. _Fate,_ I curse, _My life has just gotten WAY more interesting._ After I think this, a laser whizzes over my head and kills the man in front of me. _From an emotional war to a physical one. Wonderful._

Okay, quick author's note: Yay i m back! Okay the next chap is about planning to spring trixie from jail and you'll get more of Mario's tale. Plus, tensions rise after the story between Dwight and Mario. OOOOOOOO!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Watching TV yesterday and realised there was a FOP episode named FUTURE LOST. Well, so much for thinking this was original... XP

-Mario's story-

I don't waste time checking the body in front of me for vital signs. There is a hole three inches in diameter bored through his head. Doesn't take a genius to figure out he isn't getting up. I turn instead to Yuki and switch my channel back to my group's frequency.

"We should find cover!" 78 yells.

"No!" I respond. "We need to locate the shooter first and then we find cover. Stay calm, seem invulnerable."

78 turns to me. "He just drilled a hole through 1765's head!" he screams. "How do we seem invulnerable after that?"

I don't answer, I just face the shooter's general direction and use my thermal scan to locate him. _Or her. _I think. The figure is obviously female, thinner, thus harder to hit. "Cover in that building." I point to a condemned two-story building. "Snipers on top, everyone else below." A bolt hits the door of the shack just as the last man enters.

"Good call, 'Captain'" 78 sneers as he kicks a table. It falls apart like match sticks.

"Yes it was." I ignore his crude comment and direct all who have sniper-compatible weapons to the roof. This is a total of two. Just great. Everyone was hoping to be a hero on the front lines. "This won't do. Not enough fire power."

"Sure it is. It only takes one shot." I'm sensing a trend with 78.

"Yeah. Look out the window, 78. See the building the shooter is in?" He nods. "Good. Try getting a good shot up there good enough to kill."

78 submits to my logic. Smart.

"1290, you're with me."

"Of course." You can guess who muttered that.

"You want to try and sneak across the city center with all your heavy weapons? You'd make a good shield." Snickers flood the channel and 78 doesn't respond. I realize that the only way to deal with 78 is through public humiliation at least twice in one setting. Information on everyone I work with could be useful some day. The Resistance might come across this same team in the near future. Hopefully, I'll be gone by then.

"What are you thinking about, Captain?" 1290 asks me. Thanks to 78, I now have a nickname.

"How we are going to get across without loosing our heads." The two snipers know to give me and 1290 cover fire as soon as we exit the half-dead building, but it wont last long. One sniper has only one clip for her sniper rifle and the other 'sniper' isn't really a sniper, she just happens to have a scope on her _pistol_. Most. Ill-equipped. Attack team. EVER.

"There." I direct 1290's attention to a quartet of vases, flowerless, that line the left most street of the center's round-a-bout. "If we can get to the first one without being spotted, we will have a straight shot to the building that girl is holed up in."

"A straight shot?" 1290 asks. "That takes us around the back of the building. The opening that is most strategic to enter is the front."

_A good observation,_ I think. _Should've seen that._ I mentally slap my face. "A straight shot more or less. Just follow my lead." I step out the door and a blast sizzles at the door frame. _A warning shot. Hoping I go back inside. She doesn't want me dead, she wants us to feel as if we are failures. Not today. _I wait a tick for the first laser from my end then 1290 and I dash to the nearby vase. "Do you have any stealth tech in your suit?" I ask.

1290 taps a code into her wrist pad and her lovely figure disappears, the only clue she is stil standing is her shadow. "Tap in this code." I tell her, "1948-c00d-10k"

She does so and asks why.

"You wont be able to see me for awhile." I smirk.

1290 doesnt' believe. "I have the best Dark Soldiers Tech has to offer. I should be able to see your shado...hey, where'd you go?"

"I had a few personal mods done to my suit to meet my standards." _Thanks Law-man._ (Law-man is Mario's nickname for his brother, Lawrence)

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Only if you get caught. C'mon." Even though we are basically invisible, we still keep the four vases between us and the shooter. I switch back to the group's freq. "How you guys on ammo?"

9006, the one with the sniper rifle, responds. "I'm down to my last couple rounds and 456 is recharging her pistol."

"Hang in there. We're half way to the building." I switch back.

"What did they say?" 1290 asks.

"There will be a brief moment of silence in about five seconds." Five seconds of gun fire passes, then there is silence.

"Cool. How'd you know?"

"My secret." We are at the back of the building and we press ourselves flat on the outer wall. I'm about to make my way to the front when 1290's hand grasps my arm. "Yes?"

"Shouldn't we wait for the bullets to start flying again?"

She's right. Make certain that the shooter is distracted. Smart girl. "Fine." We wait, wait, wait, then there is an explosion. I switch channels. "What the Fate just happend?" I hiss.

"78 threw back a grenade the shooter decided to gift us with."

"Did he make it out?"

"Not quite, his hand is kinda, um, non-exsistant I guess you could say." In the background i hear 78's yelps and screams of anguish. I switch back to the private channel and inform 1290. "78's hand is-"

"I heard. It's kaput."

_I suppose 78 _can _be a true hero, he just has to push is over-sized ego aside._

We make our way around the side of the building and slyly enter the door. "Of course there are no stairs.." I mutter. "Grapnel gun ready?"

"Roger." There is a slight click like that of a projectile firearm as our grapnel guns release the cord held under pressure. Lucky for us, it is barely audible over the continuous gun fight. Good thing we waited. We are quietly pulled upwards and end up just behind the shooter. She still hasn't noticed us.

She has her black hair in a pony tail and two knives are sheathed on her back and...

* * *

(return to normal story)

"...and she was wearing a beanie, black, on her head. I spun her around and delivered a solid punch to her jaw. The black bangs that were combed over her right eye fell back." He looked at Molly with a sad smile. "Sorry." he apologiezed sheepishly.

"Oh my... You friggin'... that was you?" Molly wondered what to do; laugh or jump to him and sock him back. "You broke my jaw!"

Mario unconsiously inched away from the circle. "An undercover operative has to do what an undercover operative has to do."

* * *

Trixie used a stone to dig another mark in the wooden table. "Seven days." she whispered. Tim had told her that seven what his favorite number, and his lucky one. "Or was it four? Bah, doesn't matter. I'm too deep for a rescue anyhow."

"Good to see you're still sane, princess." Tommy entered the room with her first of her four daily meals. "Eat up, you'll need your strength."

"For what?"

"Your visitor. Toria has asked to see you."

"...Who?"

"Princess Toria, the Dictator's younger sibling."

"She has a sister?" _Oh, my luck._

Tommy shook his head then left.

_Okay, so the dick has a sister. Toria... Tootie? That Tim-obsessed chick from the alternate reality? Maybe... _The door hissing open broke her thoughts. "I'm guessing you are Toria?"

The girl who walked in nodded. She looked anything but noble. Jeans and a tank top and sneakers. That was it. She also looked very different from her alternate reality version. Mainly because she had a figure. "Yes that is my name. But call me Tootie."

"Actually, I'll call you Toria. Tootie souds...disgusting. Now, why do you want to see me?"

"I dunno." Toria leaned back in her chair coolly. "I just wanted to make certian you had no plans for escape."

Trixie bit her lip. "If I had any plans for escape, why would I reliquish them to you?"

"Oh, that's a big word!" Toria clapped.

"Yeah, hope you can understand it."

"You sound bitter, maybe some news from the outside world will... lighten your mood."

Trixie raised one eyebrow.

"Timmy says 'hi.'"

Toria was not ready for what happend next. Trixie, dispite her wounds and hunger, launched herself across the table, tackling the other girl to the stone floor. "What do you mean, 'hi?'"

Tommy rushed in and ripped Trixie off of the princess. "Are you hurt, Miss?"

Toria shook her head back to her senses. "N-no, back to your post T0-3."

Tommy smartly saluted then exited the cell.

"Well, someone cares for him." Toria regained her cocky talk and wiped the blood from her jaw. "Listen to me; Timmy has a plan to break you out. I'm gonna help."

Trixie eyed the girl suspiciously. "How do I know that you are trustworthy?"

"I'll prove it, just give me some time." Toria then hugged Trixie, "Believe me, you don't want Crocker to interrogate you. He will break you... and beware of Tommy." Then she left.

* * *

-last night-

Tim stood beneath the thrid lamp post from the left of the Castle. In his right hand was the handkerchief that Toria had handed to him in the Castle. "Vero could kill me for this..." Tim whispered to himself. He nervously rubbed the fine linen against his still-numb lips. He had been a fool for believeing Veronik would actually let him leave. "Stupid, stupid, stupid,"

"Who, me?"

Tim looked to see the princess emerge from the darkness. "Here, your highness." He said with a half-sneer.

Toria ignored his slight remark and reached to retrive her handkerchief. "What happened to your lips?" she asked. "They look blueish."

"It's nothing,"

"She doesn't believe I can help her."

"No surprise there," Tim reponded. "She and I are very much alike."

Toria bit her lip to hide jealousy. "What is that suposed to mean?"

Tim smiled and replied. "Do you really believe that I trust you? You have a direct link to Victoria. Do you really belive that I trust you?"

"You said that twice." She noted.

"Only way for it to sink in." Tim responded.

"Okay, I see your point, however, you do trust me to some extent"

"And you say this because?"

"You are here, aren't you?"

The rich girl was right, his knowledge of her from his other life had suboconciously led him to trust her. _Damn it. I hate that!_ "Fine, your're right, unfortunatly. So why do you want to help me?"

"It's the only way for me to get what I want."

"And that is?"

"My freedom."

* * *

Shane and Chloe spat snow and dirt from their mouths. "So, so, so wrong." Chloe struggled to stand but her bones and muscles ached so much that she ended up collapsing in the knee-deep snow. "Shane? Shane... Groan if you're not dead."

"Ugh."

"Cool."

"Good to see you both survived." Mr. Blue stood over the two teens, his tattoos still glowing. "That jump rendered you both unconscious. YOu've been lying here for two and a half hours." He went back to the fire and stirred the ashes to stimulate the flames. "I almost thought you were dead."

"Well, that's just peachy!" Shane exploded from his spot in the snow and rushed at Mr. Blue, arms forward and fists clenched. "You could have tried to revive us, if you realy thought we were dead!"

"I know."

Shane tried not to explode his fist into the mysterious man's face, but the urge was too strong. First one fist flew, then the other. Both knocked the man from his stoop and into the snow. "How do you like that?"

Mr. Blue rubbed his jaw. "Don't tempt me, boy." he warned.

"Just shut up," Shane shouted, "and tell us where we are going next, old man."

Mr. Blue stood and pointed to the left. "You," he said, "are to walk that way for another day, starting now. You should reach Vicksdale city limits by time."

Chloe caught the fact the enigmatic man said 'you' and not 'we.' "Wait, what about you?"

"Me? Don't worry about me, girl." he smiled then pointed to the sky. "this is where I leave you." His face shifted to resemble a man in a red face mask with an enormous chin covered in a red sock.

Before Chloe or Shane could comment on the odd transformation, the whirring of helicpoters came into hearing. "Go, quickly!" the man usered them towards the snow-covered forest between Blightsdale and Vicksdale. "When you reach Vicksdale, you will see a wand-shaped monument. Tell it the Crimson Chin sent you!"

They did as they were told and bolted for the woods.

"I'm right here!" Shouted Mr. Blue, er, Crimson Chin. "I am ready to accept my fate only if you are willing to accept your date," The blue tattoos were glowing harsher than ever then, in a flash of red and blue light, he exploded. What was left was a buscle-bound man in red and gray military fatigues. His fae was covered with a red hood and his enormous chin covered by a red sock still, but sewn into the hood. "WITH JUSTICE!"

"Weird." Chloe breathed.

"Quite."

The Crimson Chin flung himself upon the nearest helicopter with so much force that the air vehicle lurched to one side, its rotors digging into another chopper.

"We'd better let him do his thing..." Shane remarked nd the two made their way through the wood to Vicksdale.

* * *

"Are you ready for the next part of the story?" Molly asked.

Mario looked up at her. "If you promise not to hit me again..."

She laughed. "I promise. Swear on my mother's head."

"Okay, I didn't need THAT much but, I accept." The two made their way back to the small story room and Mario began to tell his tale within minutes. "This is about three days after I broke Molly's jaw. Yuki and I were good friends by now. 78 was still a pain in the ass, but he had his moments of care so he was also a friend. The others didn't matter much to me. I just made a list of their weaknesses and moved on. recruits like me were always reasigned around until we found the perfect fit. I was already fit with 1290, happily for me. Also because I was the only soldier who could deal with is attitude, 78 was also paired with me. We ended up becoming like brothers. Brothers in arms, you could say. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This next story, like I said, is three days later. My platoon was stationed for an offensive only in the desert of Vickstralia near Ayer's Rock. A group of rebels were reported stationed there," Mario nodded to Lawrence. "I was told we would take out their leader. I didn't want to and knew just how to de-rail the mission..."

* * *

I sigh deeply as I look out the window of my platoon's 4-wheel vehicle. Two fragile killer hands press against my back. It's Yuki. Yes!

"What's wrong?" she asks me.

I shrug. "Nothing to worry you." I re-adjust my light rifle's scope. The blasted thing has a tendency to veer to the left. I don't like killing rebels, but I HATE missing my target.

"Well, if there is anything you need, I'm sure I could be a great stress reliever at base." She whispers into my ear.

I know exactly what she means and thank Fate that we are about to be deployed into a offensive position to take my mind off her alluring- "Stop it."

"Hmm?"

I curse myself for saying that out loud. "Sorry, voices in my head.... I think I'm crazy."

Yuki smiles and sits down behind me knowing full well the thoughts I was trying to kick out of my head. "Well, you might want them out, we're about to be deployed."

"Hey, 84!" That is 78's voice. He is like a brother. The person I hate and like at the same time. No offense, Law-man. "You're first to step out!"

I don't know how, but somehow I am always squad leader. "Right." I take my place at the back of the half-tank vehicle and when it stops, I jump down and pull my helmet over my head. "Squad members! Check in!"

"1290, here."

"78, here."

"T-5, here."

"2323, here."

In my squad there is only one medic, T-5. Any Dark Soldier with a letter before his or her number is a medic. THe closer to 'Z' the letter is, the lower the rank. I'm so luck to have a 'T.' (_note the sarcasm_) This means that He just finished learning how to amputate a the thrill of learning how to amputate, every 'T' is hacksaw- and anesthisia-happy. There are stories of 'T's amputating for various unnecessary events, such as a splinter, frostbite, a missing finger, and even a stubbed toe. Damn my luck.

2323 is a marial arts and close-combat expert. His only long-range weapon; a high-powered blow gun. Whoopiee. His close-range weapons range from knives and katanas to a hatchet and a laser sword. Rare weapons, laser swords. Only the best of the best use them. They are rumored to even deflect laser fire. How they match up against projectiles, well we just might find out.

"Let's go." My team move at a moderate pace, not bothering to find cover and move stealthily. There is no need to try to hide in broad daylight when you wear black on a brown back ground. Using our stealth units would also be unwise because they take so long to recharge.

We are walking in two lines; I'm in front with 1290, of course. 2323 and T-5 are together. 78 brings up the rear with his heavy weapontry. The kid even brought a small hoverboard he made in work shop at base. It communicates through his belt and can transform into a TV with tendrils and a tank. Useful.

"According to the map, the rebels are on the top of Ayer's Rock!" 2323 reports. "THat means they have the high ground! We are doomed!"

Of course he is worried. He will be scaling a rock with no cover and they will be shooting at him. Unlike the rest of us, he won't be able to shoot back. I supress a chuckle. "That also means they have no where to run. The platoon can surround them."

1290 agrees with me. "Yep, just make certain we get gizmo to stay infrom of us with a heavy weapon and that floating shield."

"Hey!" 78 yells into the com. "This 'floating shield' is my friend and pet! Besides if i stay behind, I'll be able to launch mortars bringing the rain of fire on their camp, thus killing all of them!" Someone sounds happy. Good thing he won't get the chance to. I already have a plan o how to halt the attack without being discovered. Yay.

"I doubt that they will be able to cover the entire top of the rock. If we get up high enough, they will retreat further in to prepare for a fair fight. That is when we will blast them." And by 'blast them,' I mean rig his mortar to explode. And if Law-man got my package, that explosion should set of the others that will send Ayer's Rock crumbpling to the ground, letting the rebels escape. How I'm going to escape...well, I'll think about that later.

We start up the side of the rock and a movement cathces my eye. Instict tells me to shoot, and I listen. The rebel rolls down the rock, a hole burned through her left breast and out her back. She is dead. I think nothing of it. Hurrah for no feelings.

"Nice shot!"2323 comments. "If I had seen her, I would've unleashed my bladed fury."

"After she got two shots at you and missed?" 78 snorts.

"Bah, haven't you heard? Laser Swords deflect laser fire."

"And if she didn't have a laser gun?"

"..."

"Yeah, that is why I wouldn't even leave remains!" 78 then launches into a boast about his abilities to snipe with a rocket launcher. Gruesome but cool.

"Can it, 78." 1290 says shortly. "We are near their range."

She is right. We can see the muzzles of their anti-armor weapons and the outlines of people can be seen walking about. A warning shot is fired at us. The laser burns harmlessly into the ground. Another flies to us. The work of a sharp shooter, a soldier I wish I had. Then somehting amazing happens, 2323 activates his laser sword and deflects the laser, but with determination and accuracy. The beam of amplified light flies straight up and within seconds a body rolls down the rock. It was the sniper. the body reaches us in minutes, the laser went straight through the heart. "Darn good 'shot.'" 1290 comments.

"I know." 2323's face is beaming thorugh his helmet. "I told you."

I push the swordsman upfront. "You're in front from now on."

* * *

Tim was in bed. _I just made a deal with the devil's little sister._ He thought. As he drifted to sleep, figures danced in his head as if they were trying to wake him. One was a man with green hair and hte other, his wife apparently, a woman with pink hair. All he heard was 'Timmy remember your heat vision!' and 'Is that Timmy, you're talking to? Tell him Cosmo says 'hi!''Tim tried to shake the thoughts from his head, but couldn't. In frustration his opened his eyes and a searing feeling seemed to erupt from his sockets. The med room turned red and there was a muffled explosion. He closed his eyes for a second then opened them and gasped. The ceiling was gone. _Heat vision? Naw.. maybe...Crap. How am I going to explain this?_

_

* * *

_

A/N: Finally done. this is 4011 words. So tensions have not been explored between Dwight and Mario yet but they will rise. Also yes Cosmo and the faries are comming back. This story is about, um, 3/5 done. Mario's story is really cool. Lets me explore the 1st person writing style and also lets me explore the military more, what with the guns and all. Yes Mario and Yuki will be a couple in the near future. btw Tim is about 15 going on 16 now. Um, anything else i need to explain? 78 will not get a name because he is just a supporting char. Ah, the Chin! I just had to put him in somewhere. He might show up again, im not sure. Law-man is mario's bro's nick name. Tootie doesn't want her sister to be dethroned or anything, she just wants to be able to see the world as it really is. I don't know if that was clear from the story. Also it is summer with means up dates more frequently. If I don't update it is because of one of two reasons; brainstorming, or a long chapter like this one. Also Officially Dragonka has put me incharge or redoing his stories because he is no longer inspired to write *sniff* so check out my other stories. And if Badkidoh is reading this, Anarchy Teens is not dead, just need to get around to restarting it in my own way. Crap this A/N might as well be another chapter.... Anyway, till the next up date Onar out!

P.S please review

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Tim sat up from his bed and waited for the inevitable. "3…2…1… Yep." Nurses flooded the room and gasped at the large hole. Sanjay entered the room and glared at Tim.

"What da' hell???"

Tim winced then sheepishly grinned. "Hey, stare at it long enough and you will realize its not _that_ big…?"

"How did you even manage this??"

Tim shrugged. "Heat vision?"

Sanjay stared at his friend. "Really? That's the best you could come up with? You expect me to believe that you can fire beams of amplified laser light from your eyes?"

Tim closed his eyes then opened again, releasing a deadly stream of laser at the floor. "Um… yes?"

"Oh, okay…" Sanjay backed away from the hole now in the ground.

* * *

-Mario's Story-

Our progress is slow but steady. Your snipers still haven't utilized the tech for rapid fire sniper rifles. And at this point, I'm grateful for that... There is a tap at my shoulder just after i dodge a wayward blast. 1290 is giving me the signal for private freq. "Yuki?"

"I have a question for you, Mario."

"Okay, shoot."

"Are we different from the others?"

"Say what?" My heart starts beating. Is she on to me?

"The others accept life as a soldier with open arms and do everything they are order to do by superiors. We don't. Are we a special breed of Dark Soldiers? More independent?"

It's a deep question, of course. I feigned all of the mental courses to get into the program without their mind control... She didn't. Something must have broken her trance, or maybe she never came here as a child either... Come to think of it, I know less than rat shit about her past. "I don't know," I finally reply. "But when we get Rec time, we can talk."

Her line is silent and there is a click. I sigh. _Hope I didn't say anything wrong._ I switch back to public channel just as we enter the range of all of the Resistance's guns. "Alright, ladies and gents, they are thirsty for a whooping. Let's serve them up a big bag of pain sprinkled with blood!" I open fire with my light rifle, mowing down many of the guys and gals I had worked with at one point. I steal a glance at the girl. 1290 is showering them with frag grenades. Mmhmm, quite a form she's got there...

"Tally ho!" 2323 leaps into a group of rebels with a frenzy. His blades flashing quickly. The speed of which his swords are moving combined with the blood from his victims gives his swords a certain glow. As more and more surround him, more and more bodies hit the floor.

T-5 is running around like a chicken with its head chopped off ramming his portable defibrillator into many unlucky rebels.

More of the rebels spill over the ledge toward my small team. T-5 panics but I don't. "Look to the sides!" I say to him. Our reinforcements are cutting the rebels off from the sides and behind. We were the cheese, the rebels have just sprung the mousetrap.

I direct my team to follow me to the top of the large rock where the last bit of the rebels are still hiding out. This would also be time in which I begin my plan of sabotage without getting caught.

As we make it up the mountain I realize that there is a certain someone missing. Someone vital to the sabotage: 78. I look back down the mountain and see he has been cornered near some abnormally large boulders. The weapon he is using is a light weight rapid-fire rail cannon. Not too subtle but not as rapid as you would think either. It does a good amount of killing if the enemy is far off and you can do a sweeping motion to get them all, but in his position, the enemy is closing in fast and he is running out of room to fire.

"Oh crap," I hear his curses over the intercom. "I'm hot."

"No, you're not." 2323 naively inputs.

"No, you moron. Not that kind of hot." I shout at the swordsman who now obviously wouldn't even know a barrel from a butt if it shot him in the face... tempting... nah. "His gun is overheating." And judging by the size, I'd venture to say that it will take awhile to cool down. That is time we don't have.

"That's why I stick with swords and close range weapons. Never reload and never overburn."

I'm too focused on 78 to retort or even correct 2323. "Can't you call out that joke of a board to fly you outta there?"

"I tried but they are jamming my signal!" 78 screams back. He has resorted to throwing every explosive device on his bandoleer to ward away the approaching squads of rebels.

_Law-man, if you somehow know to turn of your frickin' signal jammer, I swear I'll make you the best apple pie ever... _Somehow, you knew, bro. The signal jammer was downed and 78 was able to call over his board to save his ass. "About time, loser." I snort trying to keep spirits up.

"Whatever. Let's just focus on getting to the summit, okay?"

"Sure." I put the swordsman up front again as we sneak our way up to the top where you would be waiting.

* * *

A nurse came up to Tim and shined a light in his eyes. "His eyes don't seem to have suffered any damage from the light... Seems as if it is natural.."

_Pfft, as natural as Fairy God Parents. _Tim wasn't so sure how he had forgotten about Cosmo and Wanda, he remembered everything else normal about his other life... Maybe because they hadn't appeared in this reality until the night before. Tim closed his eyes and blocked out all the sound around him. In his mind's eye, he saw two stars; one green and one pink.

"Hey, look! It's Timmy! Hi Timmy!!" A hand poked out of the green star and waved gaily.

"How are you, Sport?" Wanda asked.

"As good as I can be without magic." Tim replied.

"Aw, tell Uncle Cosmo all about it."

"You should know. I'm sure you have been watching me the entire time."

Both stars were quiet. "Whats wrong?"

"This is our first time here, Timmy. We have been locked in an alternate reality via your mind's knowledge of the other reality."

Both Cosmo and Tim gave Wanda black faces.

"We aren't able to be here physically."

"Oh!" Tim replied. "Well, you are here mentally, right? So grant me wishes! Please?"

"Im sorry, Sport, but we cant!"

"Yeah!" Cosmo piped up. "We aren't even supposed to be here!"

Wanda smacked her husband. "Cosmo, you idiot!"

"What?"

Wanda sighed. "We broke Da' Rulez just to see you. Jorgen doesn't want any fairy to interfere with this reality."

"Why the hell not?" Tim was furious. "You could fix this so easily!"

"Yes, and destroy everything in the process."

"How so?"

"Paradoxes would be created and eventually devourer all you know and love with anti-matter." Cosmo replied.

Wanda and Tim looked at the green star dumbfounded.

"Dear Diary;" Wanda began writing in her personal book. "Today Cosmo comprehended Quantom Time Theory and the Paradox Theory!"

"Philip loves noodles!"

Wanda sighed. "Easy come, easy go."

"So are you saying you can't help me at all?" Tim asked returning to the main conversation.

Wanda nodded. "Jorgen's orders."

"Yeah, and Jorgen also said don't come here. And look! Here you are! So why can't you help me?"

"I don't break rules, Timmy. It isn't in my nature. This is already too much for me to bear."

"So you are just gonna let us try and blunder our way through this mess? Fine. Leave. I can handle this on my own then."

"Timmy, at least tell us how bad it is. We haven't seen!" Wanda pleaded.

Tim's voice was grave. "Fine." And he opened his mind's eye to give them a glimpse of a world without fairies.

* * *

"Hey, kiddo. How'd you like to see some action?" Sanjay, over the fact that his best friend had super powers, approached the young man Remy Buxaplenty.

"Would be nice." Ever since he had docked after another smuggling operation, Chester had been all over Remy's plane with a wrench and an idea. As much as Remy was afraid for his plane, he knew he could trust the teen mechanic with his baby. However, Chester's work severely shorted Remy's time in the field. The young man was a flying ace, but when it came to ground combat, Remy got weak knees. Even so, he was itching for a fight. "Where to?"

"You're gonna be in a team to find then escort to base two teens that have come all the way from Vondon. The smuggler who brought them is named the Crimson Chin. However, on the outskirts of the city, Crimson Chin sent out a distress signal. I am hoping that at least the two kids are not injured."

"I'm in. When do we leave?"

"Now." Elmer walked passed Remy, taking hold of his shirt collar as he went.

* * *

Shane and Chloe pressed on. "How do you think Mr. Blue, er, the Crimson Chin, is doing?"

Chloe looked back. "I dunno. He seemed strong, but I feel he will be over-powered."

"That's what I thought, too." Shane replied. "Great, a welcome wagon." Three figures were approaching them.

* * *

Lasers are reflecting off of 2323's blades at an alarming rate. I was surprised that he had such concentration. Then it happened. A bullet snapped through his blade and ripped through his left arm. Before 2323 even registered what had happened, more bullets rawed his skin. "Gu-Guy's," he whimpered. "Help me." He began to slump in front of us.

"He ain't gonna make it." 78 spoke flatly and kicked the soldier aside harshly.

As much as we didn't want to admit it, 78 was right: 2323 was a gonner. He would only hold us back.

"I guess that answered that question." T-5 refered to the conversation about the limits of blocking with swords. The group sadly chuckled.

We reached the top of the large rock, finally, and even I was surprised to see it nearly empty.

"Alright. I'm going to start setting up." 78 announced. "Set up a defensive perimeter around me. I don't want any rebels to mess this up."

I nod, but before he can see, I attach my bug to his mortar launcher.

"Captain." 1290 speaks to me. "We have a band of misfits headed our way. What is the plan?"

I think for a moment. "T-5, stay here." I hand him my pack. "This pack as a mini gun turret. Do you know how to use it?"

T-5 is at a loss. It doesn't look like a hack saw so it is obviously foreign to him. "Here." I place both of his hands on the turret controls. "Point and click."

He did. A short burst of fire is heard. The laugh T-5 gives off afterwards chilled even 78. "Cool."

I walk back to 1290, "I doubt he will be fine with being a medic after this fight." I mutter to her.

1290 laughs. "True, so I suppose you are with me then, Captain?"

"Yes. I am." I feel her hand brush mine and I blush. "Let's go." I re-cock my rifle and we move toward the small group of misfits.

* * *

"Wow am I glad to see you three!" Chloe said again.

Remy sighed. "Would you keep it down?" This wasn't the kind of action he had hoped for at all. "The drones could hear you, you know."

"Oh, but still!" Chloe continued. "If you knew the time I've had, you would understand."

"Enlighten me," Elmer probed.

"I've jumped off of a large cliff, met up with a three-headed dragon, had to deal with the mysterious Mr. Blue, who turned out to be a Crimson man." Chloe plopped down on the earth and sighed. "All and all, a very odd time for me."

Remy grabbed her hand and pulled her up."Let's keep going, eh? We are almost there so let just-"

"We are almost to the base?" Chloe's eyes shone. "Dude! We are almost there!" She grabbed Shane's arm. "Step it up, will ya? We are finally on the home stretch!"

"Okay okay!"

Remy chucked. "What's with her?"

Elmer winked. "Before he was moved here, Chester worked with her. Apparently they had a 'thing' for each other."

"Ah." And Remy and Elmer followed the two travelers.

* * *

"Oh my stars, Timmy, this is awful!" Wanda cried for the Earth.

"If Jorgen saw this, he would most definitely d something!" Cosmo added. Even his normally upbeat attitude was quelled by the grim situation of the world under Victoria's control. "Is there anything we can do?"

Tim flared his nostrels. "There is a _lot_ you and your kind can do. But... they are all against the rules." he sad, mocking Wanda.

"Ahahaha!" Cosmo guffawed. "Wanda! He sounds just like you!"

Wanda ignored her semi-idiotic husband and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sport. But Jorgen's orders, we can't interfere."

"Magically." Cosmo put in.

The other two looked at Cosmo. "Magically?"

"Yea." Cosmo pulled a very long document out of his tiny pocket, "I was really bored fifty-eight days ago and Philip decided she did't want to play, so I read the contract that Jorgen had all fairies sign to keep the Universe in check." he laughed at the expressions on his friends' faces. He knew full well that they didn't expect much from in in the legal sense. That was half the fun of playing the idiot. "Ahem" he put librarian-like glasses on the edge of his nose. "It says in paragraph 4: Sentence 3: 'No fairy under any circumstance may meddle in the newly created dystopian Turner-verse. They must not use their magic in any way to aid either side.' Now, there is a very very, very, very, very, very, very, very-"

"GET TO THE POINT!" Wanda and Tim shouted simultaneously.

"Very small asterisk at the end of this sentence." Cosmo flung the document upwards and caught the bottom. "See? Right there. It says: No fairy must directly aide either side of the conflict. Fairies will be scrambled based on the result of Shade's Resistance's success of failure to defeat Victoria."

"So?" Tim shrugged his shoulders.

"It says 'directly.'" Cosmo said with a sly smile.

The light slowly turned on in Tim's head. "I got ya... Wanda, Cosmo? How's about helping _indirectly_?"

Wanda bit her lip. "It is a risk... And I'm not too sure I would like to take it... I'm sorry, Timmy, but I just can't bring myself to break Da' Rules, even if it is through a loophole."

"Aww." Cosmo pouted, "You are Mrs. No-Fun, do you know that?"

* * *

-Mario's Story-

"Die! Misfits!" 1290 opened fire on the band of rebels before they were even in my range. Damn, stole all the fun. I open fire also on the group and rebel after rebel falls without getting a single shot off.

"We are beasts." 1290 and I exchange high-fives. Then it happens.

I'm pretty sure that 78 is still wondering how that happened. His cannon backfires... then exploded. somehow 78 survived. But where his cannon once rested was a twisted scrap heap in a fairly good-sized crater. I laugh inwardly, but rush to his aid. The board that he made to fight along side him now serves a different purpose. It carried him to the Albatross, our emergency stealth dropship. (no, we do not have fancy shmancy anagrams for our tech. If it gets the job done, we don't care about the name).

_He's one hard turd to kill_. I thought as i looked at 78. First a grenade exploded in his hand now this. I couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's misfortune. But then again,_ I am a kid, too. _I check his vitals and I am assured he is gonna live. "You'll be right as rain, kid." I slap his back in an encouraging way. This situation is great; it is a win-win. Almost.

Lawrence did his job and the explosions on Ayer's Rock had begun. Hooo boy. "What's happening?" I shout out.

* * *

Trixie opened her eyes. She hadn't gotten a good night's sleep... again. But it was something she was getting used to, she also found meditation was the greatest form of recovering energy. And she had recovered a ton of it using techniques Sanjay had taught her years prior. How long had it been, she didn't know. However, she knew that there would be a rescue. All she had to do was stay sane long enough for Toria and Tim to devise a way to break her out.

Because she was such a high-profile 'criminal,' Trixie was under lock-and-key so to speak. Tommy was still her only guard, but Dark Soldier elite's like Tommy were trained to go many days without sleep. They would undergo a certain training that would put them in a hypnotic state that would turn off all other systems in their bodies except the primal ones needed to remain alive. It was a very sad technique but it oddly enough sharpened their senses.

"Hello there, Sunshine!" Tommy gleefully entered his captive's chamber. "So how was your night?"

Trixie frowned but the corners of her lips twitched. She also wanted to smile because, hell, he looked like Tim so much! "Ugh." SHe shook the thoughts out. "How do you think, douche?"

Tommy sighed and sat down across from the younger girl. "Some days you hate me, some days you like me. You are so complicated!" Then he gave her a sly smile. "It isn't me you like, it's my bother, huh?" He leaned in. "The infamous Timothy Drake Turner. How I remember the fateful day he broke up the family and escaped with you! Why, yes... I remember now." He smiled. "You should have told him you love him. You may never see him again after today."

"What?" Trixie would have shot out of her chair and skin if she hadn't been tied down. "The heck are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Crocker is actually going to try and interrogate you today. In fact, you are Little-Miss-Popular today. Toria and the benevolent dictator are also penciled in for today!" Tommy cracked his knuckles then reached for his sidearm. "Try anything funny, and I am instructed to 'off you.'Or whatever lingo Crocker uses."

Trixie leaned forward and tears poured out. _Fate, fate, fate. Damn, damn, dam, damn. I know full well you can save me, so why aren't you here to swoop me up out of htis predicament like you normally are? I love you, please don't forget about me..._

"Well, no saving for you. This place is locked up tighter than normal!." There was a buzz over Tommy's wrist comm system. "That would be your first guest, Victoria." he laid a kiss on Trixie's forehead. She was too stunned to respond.

* * *

-Mario's Story-

Back at the base, I am sure they are wondering why the hell they have just received SOS beacons from over ten platoons. I am sure that they are wondering why they also mysteriously and simultaneously stopped being received. I am also sure that I am plummeting a good one hundred thirty-five feet with no way in hell to stop without shattering at least... hmmm... all my bones? 78's Albatross had taken off just as Lawrence's explosions had begun. The ship's take off was shaky, but they were safe. The rest of my team... That is a different story.

T-5 was in a setup when the explosions were happening. I see him struggling with the set up as he also plummets. However, he is still enwrapped in the setup of the minigun and is falling at a faster rate than I am. To my left I see 1290. _Damn she looks fine in that armor... Wait, Mario, snap outta it... She is so off limits it isn't even funny anymore. Besides, you are kinda plummeting to your death, so focus more on that._ I agree with my common sense and fire a chord from my gauntlet. There is no rock for it to grab a steady hold of, but I don't care. The strong wire digs into 1290's shoulder armor and I hear her hiss over the comm system and know I have done superficial damage.

"Hold on, girl!" I whisper back as my gauntlet automatically reels her in to me. "Gotcha! And a good catch if I do say so myself."

"You are some kind of bad-ass, do you know that?" I don't have to look at her face to know that beneath her helmet, she is smiling.

I look down to T-5. I was young when I heard the term 'Bro's before hoes,' but that didn't apply to me for a number of reasons. One, T-5 was in no way my 'bro.' 78 was my bro. Two there is no way in heaven or hell that Yuki, er, 1290 is a whore. And not just because Dark Soldiers aren't the... most 'excitable' bunch. However, it still sickened me to hear the crunch of T-5 hitting the ground at record speed.

"We are going to end up like him if we don't do something fast!" 1290 screams to me.

"I know and I'm thinking!" I scream back. Then I see it. 'It' referring to 78's ditched board. It had carried him to the Albatross but in the panic, it had been left. "Reach out and grab that T.V.!"

"Roger." With amazing calm, 1290's hand flashes out and takes firm hold of the falling board. In another swift motion, it is activated and we are riding our way out of hell.

* * *

Tim was finally out of the hospital. Veronika was unable to find one thing that was wrong with him. It also help that every tool she picked up to use on him, he had zapped with his new-found (or rather remembered) laser vision. "How could I have forgotten laser vision! This would have helped me so much before." As he ran to where Toria was to meet him, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. He already knew why, but he hated the feeling. Cosmo and Wanda had set up a magical camera in his eyes so the fairies in Fairy World could see what the Tunerverse was like for a day. "Great so they don't want to help, but they don't mind watching the suffering?" he muttered as he ran. "So kind,"

"Finally you get here!" Toria grabbed him and ushered him into a van. "Wat took you so long?"

"Where is the plan to the building?" he shot back.

"You could at least make time to answer my question...." She pouted.

"Toria, you are the sister of the Dictator I am fighting against. My girlfrie- best friend is being holed up in your basement and you want to engage in small talk?" Tim shook is head. "This little thing is what you call a 'joint venture.' You and I work together to get each other what we want then the partnership is over. I still don't understand what you mean by you want 'freedom,' but you will get it... just as soon as I get what, or rather _who_, I want back!."

Toria's lip quivered. It was the same quiver that she had back in his other memories... The Quiver of Loneliness. "Oh." _That's what she meant... By freedom. Freedom of spirit._ His voice took on a gentler tone. "I'm sorry for exploding like that..." He put a friendly encouraging arm around her. "Can we just focus, though? Please?"

Toria inhaled slowly then exhaled. "Alright. Here. Take them." She shoved a rolled-up canvas at Tim. "These are the plans. Make your little drawings then wake me when you are ready to go." She then lay across the back row of the van and fell asleep.

* * *

Chester was surprised. Chloe was happy. The two were meeting for the first time in too long. As the two enjoyed a reunion, Remy, Elmer, and Shane went over what Mr. Blue, aka the Crimson Chin had been like.

"You know he is a legend?" Remy breathed. "The only man to defeat that one bronze soldier prototype."

"You mean that freak with the rocket-powered kneepad?"

Elmer nodded to Shane. "And yo hung out with him for such a long time. What as it like?"

Shane faced the two fanboys. "He was very... odd. He always had some sort of metaphor or simile to compare an actual event to."

"Sound sweet!" Elmer gushed.

"Yeah, well, the next time you are jumping out of an air train hundreds of feet above solid ground with a parachute that probably wont function right and the only thing that your leader has to say is 'Look beyond what you see,' then come back to me and tell me it is cool." Shane said swiftly.

* * *

"Hopeless case." Victoria sighed. "Where is my sister? I am really tired of trying to communicate with this turd." She exited Trixie's chamber. "I'll call Toria from wherever she is in this ginormous place for her turn." She then leaned in to Tommy's ear. "Remember what the plan is. You haven't screwed this up before, but just let me remind you about what happened to the last Dark Soldier that accidentally messed up an interrogation."

Tommy didn't feel afraid. He was confident in his abilities to play his part fully. However, the story of Dark Soldier 113 was always a disturbing one... His bones had been removed while being alive and then he was hung by his scalp until be died. Tommy gulped as the Dictator whispered the tale into his ear.

"So this is what I want you to remember, T-03: Don't mess this one up or it will be something even worse for you." Victoria pointed through the one-way glass window. "See the girl? She has charm. I can tell you have some feelings for her. Don't let her try and talk you into helping her outta here."

"Pfft." The Dark Soldier Turner scoffed. "See this heart?" He thumped his chest twice. "It has a mind and eyes for only one woman and leader." He then lightly thumped her chest, re-enforcing the bond between himself and his liege.

Vicotria smiled. "At ease, soldier. I trust you."

* * *

-Mario's Story-

I woke up after 1290. How do I know? Because she somehow made some food. "Where are we?" I groggily raised up on my elbows but 1290 rushes to my side to stabilize me. "Urch. What happened?"

"Are you okay?" She asks me.

"I don't know. Did you get the number of the tram that stuck me?" I ask.

She laughs, "Not quite what happened. You navigated the rocks just fine. It was the landing that you couldn't stick."

I arch an eyebrow and she laughs. I realize my helmet is off and roll my eyes. "You know I am one of the best pilots," I joke. I wasn't terribly good at piloting. out of five test flights on the final, I crashed one and almost crashed two. My instructor sent me on my way with a 'B' for 'Boy, don't you come back now, ya hear?' My instructor also noted that I was the first person to ever get road rage in the sky... Hehe looking back I now see he was probably right. Nevertheless, I wasn't terrible at flying either. I was just below average on the safety aspect of flight. "Anyway, I can land an oil floater on a Sea Carrier... How the Fate can I not land 78s hover T.V.?"

"It wasn't your fault." She poked at the survival slop that comes standard with our suits. "The rocks really battered up the stabilizer fins. No pilot would be able to land that pile-of-crud." She waved behind me.

"Whoa," The once-proud board is now jutting out of the ground, a mangled heap of scrap metal and still red-hot fuel. "I did that?" I point at the thing.

"Mmhmm." 1290 finishes her survival slop then hands me my share.

"Thanks, I guess." I greedily hork the goop down then hold back the tears from the taste. "Nastiest shit ever..."

"You got that right." 1290 collapses next to me and leans on my shoulder. "What do we do now? We are stranded here, our base is so far away and the Resistance is pretty close to us."

Unlike 1920, I recognize the region. Dark Soldier rely on advanced tech to help them navigate. I rely on landmarks and the stars. And it is getting to be dusk... "The stars will be out soon."

"So?"

"That is when we will move out."

"But we have no map!" She protests.

I tap my head with my index finger. "Why do you need a map when you have this? Knowledge of the sky." I stand and begin strapping on the armor that 1290 had peeled off while I was unconscious. She had peeled it off to make me easier to move after the crash, now I was equipping it to save hers... Irony. "Set up because as soon as the moon is out, we are moving out."

1290 cracks her knuckles then starts strapping on all of her crud. "I say we ditch the hand-held weapons. We will move faster this way."

_Smart chick_, I think to myself. I keep my pistol as does she. Never hurts to have insurance. As I start stretching, my boot kicks something. I put a cylinder from the ground. It is 1212's laser sword. I put it in my pouch. Never hurts to have insurance.

* * *

Toria's van rocketed down the empty street. Tim's plan was finished and just in time, too. Victoria had called just moments before Tim had put the finishing touches on his plan to say it was Toria's turn to talk to Trixie. Now the van was racing down the street to the Castle of Victoria.

A trip that took most an hour took them only ten minutes. The van screeched to a stop in a large garage. "Stay here until I return. Only then will I know for sure the best time for this plan." Then she was gone.

Tim sat in the van and waited.

* * *

Toria straightened her skirt then entered the outer chamber. "Hello, T-03."

Tommy smiled at the young girl. "Have fun, highness."

Toria entered Trixie's chamber haughtily. It was necessary so that Tommy would not suspect anything. "Hello and look at me when I speak to you."

Trixie looked up and Toria's eyes widened. She had heard rumors that if she didn't get the answers she wanted, Victoria would beat her captives. However, she had never seen proof. Now she had proof. This girl, Trixie, was her own age, yet her face was beautiful but bloody. "My god..."

"Oh, come closer, Dictator-to-be..." Trixie's voice was eerily serene. "Don't let the face fool you. Your sister was kind enough to give me a makeover."

Toria sat down across from Trixie and gave her a reassuring pat. "Tim is in my garage."

Trixie's face twisted into rage.

_Oops. Bad choice of words_, "I mean he is in the Castle's garage. He has a plan. Here." She slid a picture across to the prisoner. It was a picture of Tim and Chester smiling. Trixie's eyes teared. _She_ had taken that picture. "Alright. I'll trust you, for now."

"Thank you."

For the next twenty minutes Toria fake-questioned Trixie then she left without saying good-bye to Trixie or Tommy.

Tommy waited for the last door to close before he entered to talk to Trixie. "Hey, the last one is coming. Do you have a message for Timmy? I'm sure that one day I will meet him on a battlefield."

"Shove it. I'm gonna get out of here somehow. I'll tell him myself." she spat.

"Aww you are so cute when you are feisty!" Tommy said. "Well, I'll tell him that."

Just then, Crocker entered. "Hello, poppet." He slowly moved forward into the inner chamber and ushered Tommy out. "guard the door and don't forget." He whispered the second part.

"How are we today?" Crocker stood behind the girl, his bony fingers interlocked.

She knew there was something creepy about the man, but she couldn't place a finger on it. He felt almost like a mage or what a demon-possessed power-crazed maniac would be like. "I know it means nothing, but go away."

"Ah, my deluded child. I cannot do that. If I did that, then I would be unable to sustain my power. A great writer that you will never know about once wrote, _'We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us: so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him._' I respectfully say 'no. we can destroy the heretic.' Don't you see, this isn't a war you can fight completely with guns and swords and tanks. I have an infinite supply of troop as and humans to act as a human wall between your kind and me. You rely on the misfits; the ones who don't profit from this system. So we will always have enough troops. However, that is all about to change. This is a war were to win, you have to beat the mind. You fight with guns a war that is to be fought with thought. This is why you are losing."

He continued, "You do not realize this, but we have our own spies in your operation. How? Simple; we attack the mind. At the snap of my finger I could have captured over half of your entire organization. The ones you felt you could trust will betray you and now you will die with that knowledge."

"Die?"

"Yes, you will die. Either mentally or totally, to me. You will die wanting to scream the truth about how much I really control, but the waters of ignorance that you are your operation have operated under for so long will drown out your sound, then your life. You will doe screaming silently."

Trixie panicked for the first time since she had initially been incarcerated. He was right. This was no bluff. By fighting the war physically, they had been revealing themselves. Crocker fought them not to win, but to reveal them. His attacks were aways so well-placed that it only took her a few moments to realize that the attacks had been placed to weed out their source. But it was only obvious if you were looking for it. It all made sense now. Crocker was truly a mastermind. Not good, not evil. Just simply a mastermind in quintessential form. He would win at this rate. He played to win. It didn't matter how many he killed, just as long as he could gain complete control over the mind of the people. Shade's Resistance had been fighting the wrong kind of war.

"Oh my Fate..."

"Yes, your fate." Crocker's crooked teeth shone beneath his dark hood and he placed both hands on the young girl's shoulders. "There is a way for you to be saved..." His bony fingers traced her face.

* * *

Tim stood up as Toria approached. "Crocker is in there with your girl as we speak." Toria said with urgency in her voice. "I bugged the room. THe audio quality is bad,, but it is good enough for use to e=hear what we need."

"What do we need?" Tim asked unfolding his arms.

"Crocker to stop talking. Trixie is gonna milk all the information she can get from him before he decides what to do with her." The two packed for the plan.

* * *

Trixie didn't know when Crocker was gonna stop, but she hoped it was soon. His hands were cold and almost slimy. He pinched her cheeks then smiled. "Back in my day, I was quite the ladies man. Let's see if I still have it."

Trixie's eyes widened then the braced herself against her bonds. For days she had been working at her ropes and she felt that they were near breaking point. She didn't know exactly what the old man had in store for her, but if it involved the drill he somehow got a hold of, she didn't what to know.

* * *

"We have to move now!" Toria kicked down the vent in the garage and started crawling to the detention center.

_Wit all of the break-in's we have done to this place and places like this, you would think Victoria would put in a better vent system_. Tim thought as he and Toria crawled through the vent systems. "How far away is the detention block?"

"It doesn't connect to this vent system." Toria replied. "After we get to the end of this vent system, you are going to have to activate your cloaker and I will lead you to were the detention block is."

"Great..."

Their steady progress was moderately fast considering it was a slight incline. The adrenaline rush in Tim's head made him forget about everything except saving Trixie. "Are we there yet?"

"No, not yet..."

* * *

-Mario's Story-

"So, where is the magical map that you somehow possess?" Yuki makes fun of me.

"In my head." I reply. "And before you shoot another jab at me, look up."

She does. "So what? They are stars..." Then she trails off. Dark Soldiers normally don't look up. This is because the sky is usually filled with gray swirling clouds or some other such artificial weather pumped out by the countless factories across this desolate planet. Heard that they purposefully pump out the non-toxic smoke to keep people without view of the stars so they cannot dream, or _shoot for the stars _or _reach for the sky. _Why would you want to reach for something that looked that dismal? It made sense that Crocker and Victoria would want to block it.

Yuki's soft voice broke my thoughts. "There are so many stars!"

"Yep, and did you know that the Earth moves the same way every certain number of months? With this knowledge and a clear view of the stars, you can never be lost." I point up. "See that bright one?"

"Yeah?"

"That is the Polaris; the North Star. No matter where you are on Earth, it always is above the north pole. Just follow it and you are going north. walk away and you go south."

"Handy." She pauses for a moment before grabbing my arm. "Well? What are you waiting for?? Let's get a move on."

Our trek starts of slowly. We want to pace ourselves. As we go, we pass the rubble that was Ayer's Rock. Dead Dark Soldiers litter the ground and there are no Rebel's in sight. Good. As we keep going, we see T-5's mangled body. "Yuck." We give the teammate a proper burial then move on.

It ins't long before the topic I had been expecting since earlier that day reared its head. "Are we different?" Yuki asks me.

_Crud._ "What do you mean?" I feign naivety

"Look at us!" She waved her hands dramatically, "We are alive. Almost a legion of Dark Soldiers were sent on this mission, yet we are the only ones to survive. How do you figure that?" She sounds angry.

"I don know. Guess we are each other's good luck charm, eh?" I chuckle but can tell she is in no mood for jokes. She wants answers.

I look ahead and know that soon we would be spotted by a platoon search party that the Dark Soldiers have no doubt sent out by now. That means I can't tell her the truth, or else I'd have to, well, you know... "To be honest, I think we are different. We are a different breed of Dark Soldiers..." And I start to weave an elaborate tale of how the Dark Soldier had at one time, a very long time ago, been a force for good...

* * *

Tim and Toria finally stopped at a vent. "Are were there yet?"

"Yep." the teen girl kicked out a vent and dropped down. Tim activated his stealth package.

"Stay close and don't make a sound." She said putting a finger to her lips. Then the two made their way to the detention block.

* * *

"That's it, old man!" Tommy rushed into the inner chamber and shoved Crocker to the side.

Now Trixie was confused. "What?"

"Go on!" Tommy swiftly slashed through Trixie's bonds. "Get outta here!" Then he pushed Crocker, "I cannot take working for you anymore, old man. Run, Trixie!"

Trixie jumped from the chair and found the strength to obey the Dark Soldier. _Obey the Dark Soldier? What the hey is going on here? _She thought as she slowed to a jog, partly due to hunger pains kicking her stomach. She smiled feebly and realized she had trusted the Dark Soldier's advice to run because he was a Turner. "I hate that so much..."

"Hate what?" The voice of Tim!

Trixie spun around into his waiting, but surprised arms. No wait, those weren't Tim's arms... "Toria!" Trixie forcefully pushed away from the girl looked behind her. "Tim!"

"Hey there!" They shared a brief embrace then Tim gave his friend a look. "How the hell did you escape?"

"Tommy help me!" She cried.

"Tommy?" Toria turned to Tim. "Alright, I gave you what you want, or rather who you wanted. Now, do not forget you end of the deal." And with that she ran into the shadows of her own castle.

"Okay... What the heck was that?" Trixie pointed in the direction of Toria.

"She can't be caught helping me, remember? She is Vicky's sis. But more importantly, how are you free?"

"Tom. He revolted against Crocker..." Toria started.

"Tom?" Tim thought hard. In his other life, there had only been one Tom. "Does he claim to be my brother?"

"Yeah. Tommy Turner."

"We have to get outta here." Tim grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her into a dark area with pillars. "Go, I'm right behind you!" He pushed her through a hole and they were outside in a parlor.

"I don't get it, he saved me." Trixie was confused.

"You don't know Tommy. In my other life, he followed every rule and was could manipulate a person to do whatever he wanted as long as it followed the law."

"So?" Trixie asked.

"Hello? Vicky is the law!" Tim replied. "It was their plan for you to escape!"

"Why?"

"because we knew that you would lead us to him!" Tommy's voice was somewhere in the large parlor and they had no way out.

* * *

-Mario's Story-

My story is finished and Yuki is very deep in thought. "Is that true?" She asks.

I plop my butt down next to her and sigh. The story was true. Somehow I knew that... as if i had another life as some sort of powerful dimension-jumping demi-diety... But it was very untrue for explaining why we were different. I did not know for sure why she was different and it was obvious it was unwise to tell her why I was different. She was confused, but not enough for me to reveal that I have been playing both sides of the field. "Yep it is very true."

"Huh, so we are remnants of a true Dark Soldier prerogative?"

I hiss my teeth inwardly. I really don't like lying to this girl. "Yeh."

She smiles at me and plants a kiss on my cheek. "Thanks for that,"

"No no," I whisper, "Thank you."

She blushes then stands. "C'mon, we should get moving."

Eventually we were found by a search convoy and taken back to base, but not before we had discuss almost everything under the sun. And not before we made out again. When she saw the convoy, she cried. She told me that she loved me with all that was left of her heart and hated what the Dark Soldiers had done to her mind. She told me she hadn't loved anyone before because everyone was always dying around her. The Dark Soldiers had killed the love in her, or so she thought.

"Maybe," she said as the convoy drew closer, "There will be a day when Dark Soldiers can retire without getting killed and there will be no wars and the children of this planet will get together in unity."

"Doesn't this dictatorship mean that there is unity on Earth because they are all united by one leader?"

"Don't be a fool," Yuki smiled through her tears. "Look at your armor, your cloth; bloodstained. Humans are still killing humans... But when that day of freedom and peace comes, I pray that we will be together on the beach, alone, watching as humanity will progress into the future in peace."

That little speech struck home for me and I lost my taste for killing. I thought about maybe recruiting her to Freedom's cause, and many times after that visited her room and talked politics... But I never got the chance to tell her my secret.

Two weeks later we were on another mission and you guys called in a bombing run... She was underground in a cave... I couldn't save her.

-End Mario's story-

Mario sighed. "Hot damn. Her screams are still in my ears. And her face... her beautiful face..." For the first time Mario broke down and cried.

Molly put a hand around her friend's shoulder. "It's okay."

"Yeah, she would have just turned you in anyway. You can't trust Dark Soldier, you know." Dwight added in with spit.

Mario flew across the room and tackled the younger kid. "What the Fate is your problem?" Mario bellowed. With one hand he lifted Dwight up and then threw him across the room into Molly. "You have not experienced what I have! Do you know who you are fighting? Do know the enemy? Have you lived with them for many moons?"

Dwight stood up in a rage and rushed Mario. "You thick-skulled pretty boy!" With a flying tackle the two were again on the ground scuffling. "The enemy is the enemy! How can you not see that?"

Mario kicked Dwight off of him. "The enemy is the enemy, yes. But the enemy is human!" This made even Dwight stop. Lawrence held fast to Dwight now. "Under all the armor and the masks they are human. Every time you swing that sword, every time you pull that trigger, you are ending a life that will never, ever, come back. It's done! You can't undo anything." He pointed out the window. "Somewhere out there, Yuki's body is still there, lying lifeless. She isn't coming back... That life is finished."

Molly ran over and stabled the young man who was obviously hurting. She kissed him. "It's okay, I'm here for you."

And then there was silence.

* * *

Was it really almost over? Victoria looked over the people gathering below her. At her castle two of the most dangerous and vile rebels were captured, or better yet, dead. Crocker's plan of putting spies into the resistance had come to fruition and as soon as this meeting was over, boom, the Resistance would be destroyed in fast but deadly blow. She smiled her beautifully cruel smile. The resistance all over was about to be crushed after this speech and the world would progress into a future of power. She had heard tales from her astronomers that there was a planet nearby that supported life. Yugopotamia was it? Either way, Earth was finally hers. She had inherited it, and that planet was next.

The clock struck thirteen and the Dictator began. "We are on the verge of a New Age..."

* * *

Tommy stepped out of the shadows with pistol lazily held in one hand. This would be the easiest kill ever. Tim had tarnished the Turner name in the ranks of the Dark Soldiers, but that blot was about to be whited-out. "Hello, bro."

Tim felt half-fear. Before Tommy had actually found them, Trixie had gotten away. "You aren't even supposed to exist." Tim replied.

"I don't know what you are a-rambling about, bro. However, you will be silenced in a moment or two." Tommy smiled and removes his mask. "See? I look just like you."

Tim bit his lip. "And that is were the differences end. They are only skin deep."

"Oh you little fool. Don't you see the error of your ways?" Tommy waved with his gun-holding hand. "I am your bother. Just claim insanity and I am quite sure I could get you back into the program."

"Over my dead body." Tim replied.

"Ironically," Tommy nodded to his gun. "That could be arranged."

"You like following the rules, right Tommy?"

"Of course. That is why I am winning; because I'm no cheater."

"Really? The law is a means for people to know what not to do. It is a way for people to control themselves. Humans have their own consciousness unlike animals!"

Tommy frowned. "You have my attention."

"Humans can think on their own. You cannot control a human for too long or they will revolt, they will go nuts!" What the hell are yo thinking? The Dark Soldiers used to be heroes of the world acting as a world-wide peace force. How did it get so twisted?"

"We were not twisted!" Tommy shouted back, "This is the future, sorry if you didn't get the memo! But things change as Father Time marches on! War is cruelty, but as long as there are people resistant to change -like you and your buddies- there will be war! As long as people have an opinion, there will be war! We Dark Soldiers follow Victoria to remedy this one fault of humanity."

"As long as there are people, there will be war. As long as there is thought, there will be war! As long as there are humans... there will... be... war." Tim shook with silent rage. His older brother was making sense but none at all and he hated that. "What are you planning to do? Put children in suspended animation until they are adults to cut out their childhood and imagination?"

"Actually no... but that's a pretty good idea."

"Don't you see you are no longer promoting peace? Do you even remember how the world was before Victoria's rule?"

"Of course not!" Tommy scoffed, "She has been the world leader for as long as anyone can remember!"

"Then why are there records of what the Dark Soldiers were before her rule?"

Tommy froze. Tim had just thrown into the mix Logic.

_Hope he sees this is wrong._ Tim thought.

"Simple." Tommy said after a pause. "She just... well we were very different back them because there was a different kind of war being fought."

"Then if she is so altruistic and benevolet, why is crime rising each year?"

"..." Tommy inhaled sharply as if he had been kicked.

"Why is there a resistance all of a sudden if things were always so perfect?"

"Shut up..."

"Why, if everything was so perfect, was there a need for Dark Soldiers?"

"Shut up!"

"Why has there always been a war if things were always so perfect!"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Tommy's head fell heavily as if it would dislodge from his body and fall. "Just shut up... why is this happening?" he looked at his hands: one held a gun and the other had the dried blood of a former cell mate. "I guess... that maybe you are right."

_Thank god..._ Tim felt his shoulders rise as if a large weight had been taken from his shoulders. It helped that the gun so recently pointed to his head was now hanging limply by his older brother's side.

"Then again, you are just a human like the rest of them!" Tommy raised his gun.

The trigger was pulled.

Bang.

The body fell.

* * *

Molly and Mario shared the sky once again. But they were also planning the strike on the Spires.

"How long has it been since there was a fight here?" Molly asked.

"Seems like forever. Like Time stood still for my story." Mario shivered and decided to joke it off, "I must be pretty important..."

Molly laughed and drew him closer. "Things really are moving fast, though."

"Yeah, I have a feeling that soon it will all be over though, like this is the ending to a story if everything goes as planned that is..." Mario laid his head on her shoulder. "It's almost over."

Then there was a hiss as the door that lead to the platform opened. "Mario... dude.. you are gonna want to see this." It was Chad.

After a short jeep ride, Mario and Molly were back at the base. "What's up?"

"This way!" Chad beckoned. "Me and my bro went out for a short walk and stumbled upon the person."

"Who is it?"

Chad smiled. "See for yourself."

Mario looked at the bed and almost gasped. "Yuki..."

The girl's eyes opened. "Mario...?"

* * *

Toria looked out her bedroom window. Nothing had changed. The people had swarmed like roaches to hear her sister's speech. She had heard a gun shot... Tim was dead. She knew it. Tim was dead and the Resistance was about to be blasted to nothingness. Crocker would eat the survivors alive.

"Maybe it wasn't meant to be..." She shrugged and turned her back to the window.

* * *

Trixie panted heavily. It was a once in a lifetime shot and she had hit it. Tommy lay dead at her feet and Tim was unharmed. "My goodness, Tim!" She rushed to his side and the two embraced again, but blissfully unaware that they were still in the bowels of the dragon.

Finally they break. "We have to go. I'm sure every thinks i am dead." Tim said.

"Yep, he was so cocky and had quite a reputation." She looked sadly at Tommy's face, a distorted cruel smile. "Let's go."

The two left Tommy there, drowning in his blood and his ego and went outside just as Victoria started her speech.

"Why don't we check on our favorite arch nemesis?" Tim asked.

Trixie complied and the two stood back as Victoria continued her galvanizing speech

"She is so into her speech, huh?"

"Yep." Sighed Trixie, just happy to have Tim by her side. "So is her audience. See that?" She pointed around the Dictator. "Cameras, broadcast around the world."

"Well then," Tim held up a triggering device. "Let's give the world a real show." he pressed the button.

* * *

Everything was going as planned. Crocker stood out of sight of the people and watched his adoptive daughter preach. Tim was no doubt dead. Tommy would be a decorated war veteran for taking out Tim. Trixie would go back into captivity, Shade's Resistance would be wiped out, and the minds of the people would be 'won' once again. "All in all, a very good day." Then it happened.

One by one, screens shifted from Victoria's demanding image to a serene scene. It was Dimmsdale but as he had left it. It was full of vibrant colors. A murmur went up. _The people! The People!_ Crocker panicked for the first time in ages. The video was of Dimmsdale. The sky so blue... the grass green and non synthetic. Crocker screeched and went to Victoria.

"Pay no attention to the screens!" Victora shouted in vain. "Shut them off, shut them off!" She shouted to her media manager.

He could only shrug. "I have no control over any source now..."

Victoria screamed as Crocker pulled her into the dark... "Quiet! Send the Order 56. No doubt this is the work of Shade and his pathetic Resistance!"

Victoria nodded in pseudo-understanding and shakily walked to carry out the order. Little did she realize it was too late. Tim and Trixie had sent a message out to Shade who in turn broke apart his Resistance. Lairs were set to destruct and all information downloaded into back-up memories before being wiped from the computers. The Resistance was being destroyed, but on its own accord. All over the world their operations were being ended.

Tim and Trixie ran for their lives and freedom. They weren't being chased by Ninja's or Dark Soldiers, but they were running anyway. They had to get to the safe zone Shade had set up for them. When the reached it, they quickly started the large ship's engines and rocketed away to the remains of their base.

"Sure am sad to see it go..." Trixie said as she watched smoke billow from where the once-secret lair was.

Tim banked the ship to the right and nodded. "All that work. Seems like for nothing at first, but check it." He pointed to the view screen. "My memories are being broadcasted to ever channel and there is nothing she can do about it." He felt a feeling of triumph well up in his soul. He knew the fight wasn't over, but it was pretty damn close now.

A.J., Veronika, Sanjay, and Gary all filed into the ship as they watched Remy fly away in his jet. All who mattered from this lair were now safe. All of the impostors and impersonators were down there somewhere trying to figure out what had happened; their chips issued by Victoria interfering with the plan that Shade had laid down centuries ago for such a time as this.

"Radical moves, guys." Veronika shouted as the smoke faded into the horizon behind them. "I thought you tow were dead for sure!"

"I'm not dead till i say I am." Tim replied cockily.

"Riight." Trixie kissed his cheek.

And the ship disappeared into the horizon of the future to finish their plans against Victoria.

A/N: Well its done! (not really but this section is) feed back read review!!!!! For the record, I think this is the longest chapter ever written. 10k+ words please read and review because I am planning to continue!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm not dead! OMG! Stuff just had to be done first… like graduation so.. anyway this is about eleven years later. So Tim and his friends from DImmsdale are about 26-27 and Lawrence, Mario and Yuki are 28-30 with Lawrence being the oldest. Dwight and Molly are about 26-27 also. Also because they are older, there will be more adult themes (which is why it is rated 'T.' Not super adult but just a warning.) And please Read and Review

Years have passed... How many? He didn't know. However, he did know that life had drastically changed since that fateful day years ago. The day he stopped keeping track of time in numbers and started keeping track of how many uprisings there were a day.

Crocker pounded in fist on the window railing. "Damn that boy! He is always a thorn in my side, even in this life!" He wanted to kill Turner; rip his head off and then drink the blood. The only problem was that he didn't know where the boy was. Timothy Turner was a common enough name for a less than common person. Even with the newer laws of security enacted, it would be hell looking for the kid. "He isn't even a 'kid' anymore. He is a man now... How long has it been? ten years? Eleven?" Crocker sighed and slouched back into the darkness of his chamber, away from the window. "Whatever... Victoria!"

The not-so-young dictator entered. "Yes, Cocker?"

Crocker looked at her. She hadn't let herself go, but the stress of when Dimmsdale had been revealed had set in; Victoria had nearly lost her sanity. She became sadistic and even more unstable than even Crocker had expected. Not that he was complaining, however. "Send a raid team through the cities. Try again to fish out Turner."

Victoria squinted at him, "Really? What good will that do? Hmm?"

Crocker was taken aback by her unusual response.

"We won't accomplish anything like that!" She plopped down on the floor like a child. "It's useless."

Crocker sighed and then snapped his fingers. "Maybe that is what you believe." Two guards ushered in a forlorn-looking man "This man was one of the resistors!" He pointed at the poor man. "We are making progress!"

Victoria looked at the man before her. Something told her that this man was never a part of the resistance. Hell! The man didn't even look like he had a clue what was going on. But she pushed the thoughts from her mind. _No, he has to be a part of them. HE is an outsider, can't be trusted._ "Kill him."

The two guards looked at each other.

Victoria leapt up and grabbed hold of the prisoner's ragged shirt. "Never mind your failures, I will do it!" She drew out a knife and stabbed through the man's neck.

He gurgled shortly then collapsed, the knife still in his throat. Victoria stood over the fallen man like a wild dog looks upon its prey, her breaths came in hot, short spurts. "Clean this dead fool up."

Crocker looked at his adoptive daughter with a certain fear. She was going nuts.

* * *

"Honey! I'm home!" A young man in his mid twenties closed the door to his Spartan apartment.

"Daddy!" Two children, around ten, ran out of their bedroom and attacked their father with hugs and kisses.

"Aww ha ha, hey, kids!" The father fell back into a chair, his grey-blue eyes laughing.

His wife came out from the kitchen nook with a worried look on her face. It quickly melted into a reassured look and the gave a half sigh, half laugh. "Kids, get off of your Father. He has had a long day." She gently pulled one child from her husband. "Besides, I haven't gotten to say 'hello' yet." As soon as both kids were off, she pulled her man in close and laid a short but passionate kiss.

"Ewww!" One of the kids, a boy, exclaimed.

"Hey, Tommy. One day you will meet the girl of your dreams and be laying smooches on her preety face."

The other child, a girl, giggled.

Embarrassed, Tommy blushed furiously and turned to his sister, "Shut up, Tammy!"

"Tommy…" His mother warned her child.

"But, Mom, she is laughing at me!"

Tammy laughed more then ran into the bedroom.

"Come back, you!" Tommy ran after his twin sister and soon their parents were alone in the main room.

The husband set his briefcase on the desk. "This is it."

"Oh, Timmy, should you really be doing this?"

Tim sighed and looked in the full length mirror. He and Trixie had it lucky along with many of their friends from the resistance. Because he had helped Tootie, she had helped set them up with rooms all over the country that were 'broken.' Rooms that had nearly no surveillance. "Look at me, Trixie. I think it is for the best that I do this."

From the briefcase he removed a thick cloth Dark Soldier uniform. "I know it might seem like it is against all we have fought for, but I feel this could be the once chance to end it all and right things." He put the uniform on.

Of course, he wouldn't be the first in the Resistance to be an undercover Dark Soldier. There were tales of a legendary spy in the Vickstralia branch by the name Mario, Tim hoped to meet him one day and ask "What possessed you to stay undercover so freakin' long?'

However, Tim would be the first undercover Resistance member to be more than a Dark Soldier: he was going to be a Genome Warrior. His training had unlocked his warrior genome to the fullest extent and he finally had his heat vision under full control.

Trixie wrapped her arms around Tim's body sadly. "What about the children?"

Tim bit his lip.

He and Trixie had gotten married at twenty-one years of age, but didn't have kids the conventional way. That would mean two things if they had: A. Trixie would be out of operation for her pregnancy and B. She and Tim would have had to have screwed at age nineteen. That would have been a complete killjoy of many things for them, namely kicking evil's ass. They opted to adopt and not go through the rigors of childbirth.

When they went to the adoption agency, they didn't even have to lie. It was common for people to adopt so that they would have more time to work for the 'benevolent ruler.' Tim and Trixie chose to adopt a set of twins. Of course it was more work than one kid, but these to, Tommy and Tammy, reminded them so much of what they were fighting for.

"This is all for them." Tim sighed. "It's all for them."

* * *

Mario looked beside him; Yuki was asleep still. Oh he loved that innocent face of hers, even the cute scar that ran down the let side of her forehead where she had been slashed by a knife in her days as a Dark Soldier for Victoria.

Mario quietly stood from the bed and began to look for his shirt. It wasn't easy to find it, after all it was more than just his clothing on the ground. Finally he found it, hidden beneath a plasma cannon and Yuki's skirt. _Woah, Yuki's shirt?_ He looked back at the bed, _That was some night_. The twenty-nine year old pulled his shirt on then opened the door and stepped out. It was time to find some breakfast.

Yuki awoke with a start, mainly because her hands had reached out and grasped nothing. "Mario?" She sat up in bed and a chill went across her naked body. This wouldn't be the first time her boyfriend would have left her alone in a bed, but she trusted him and knew from previous experiences that her was getting food. _It's sometimes the only thing that gets him out of bed, either that or a new weapon design_. She laughed to herself as she got out from the bed.

"I've come so far from where I've started…" She had come to the Resistance base as an injured. Apparently Mario had told his friends about her but thought she was dead. She was glad that he had told the story or else she would have been dead as soon as they had recognized the worn-out Dark Soldier suit she had on.

-flashback-

The rocks were coming down around her and the only thing she could think of was Mario's safety. Was he okay? Was he okay? Was he okay? She screamed as a rock crushed her life support unit. The air being supplied to her would soon run out. She had to find a way to escape the death trap.

At the last second she saw an opening in the ground. Not knowing where it would end, she jumped in. The slide down would have been fun if her life wasn't dangerous. Finally it emptied out to an underground cave. "Oh my Fate…" The underground cave was beautiful: there was a large pool in the center with an island made of pure crystal sticking straight up into the air. There was light in the cave, but from where it came, she didn't know.

In desperation, Yuki ripped her helmet off and collapsed by the water. She removed a probe from her gauntlet and stuck it in the water. The health rate was off the charts. She looked at the multi-colored crystal island jutting out from the water. "Mineral water." Then she started to guzzle the mineral water down. If she ever got out, she would remember this place as a place of refuge.

-flashback ends-

Mario returned with breakfast just as Yuki finished making the bed. "You aren't gonna put on anything?" He smirked at his love.

"Why? Embarrassed?" She smiled seductively as she popped a strawberry in her mouth.

Mario laughed as he ate a fruit, too. "I swear on my mother's grave, as soon as a minister is found on this large island, we are getting married."

Yuki laughed knowing full well that finding a minister to marry them was a nearly impossible task. As soon as Dimmsdale and Tim's memories were revealed to the world, the 'benevolent leader' snapped. One of her many outlandish laws was making marriage illegal. But not just marriage; any allegiance to anyone except for Victoria was illegal. 'Everyone belonged to everyone else and everyone belonged to Victoria' that was the rule of law. Everyone worked for Victoria and if any one liked someone enough, they could just have them, as long as the other person was willing. No loyalty to anyone else except for the leader.

"Hey, don't laugh, silly girl!" Mario kissed her forehead lightly. "And get dressed; Lawrence has a new mission for us."

"Alright, alright. Geez, you just can't wait for me to cover up, huh?" She teased.

Mario just winked.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the two entered the main room of the Vicktralia Resistance branch bunker. It was the securest location on the island.

"What's up, Law-man?" Mario asked as he plopped down on the large semi-circular sofa.

Instead of smiling, Lawrence sucked his teeth. "Your former brother in arms has killed off a reconnaissance party. Think he might even have prisoners."

"Shit." Mario bolted up. He hadn't heard from 78 in a very long time. "That was Dwight's group right?"

Lawrence nodded. "I don't know who is dead and who is alive, that is going to be your job." He threw Yuki a digital tracker. "In there is the location of where the party was attacked. Get out there and find out what you can."

"Once question." Yuki spoke up, "How do you know it was 78?"

Lawrence flicked a couple switches. On the overhanging screen was the feed from a camera. "This feed was sent to us just after the attack was reported."

There was a helmeted figure. No features on the helmet except for a messily painted on '78' I bright white letters. He looked into the camera. "I'm coming for you, Mario."

* * *

"What have we got?" Tim entered Chester and Chloe's apartment.

Chloe spoke first. "There seems to be a problem with A. J.'s communicator."

"Problem?" Tim asked.

"He's been captured."

"No…" Tim turned from his friends and looked out the window on the city of Dimmsdale. "How could he be captured? No one goes to that side of the city anymore."

"Except for bounty hunters. Some merc has our bald friend and is going to turn him over to Vicotria for a handsome amount… That is after he tries to drain information from A. J.'s head."

Trixie looked over the cityscape: somewhere out there A. J. was going through what she had gone through ten years earlier, maybe even worse. "We have to get him."

"I concur." Tim spoke up, but Chester stopped him. "I think Kristen should go this mission, okay?"

Tim exploded, "What? He's my best friend! How could you do this?"

Chester tried to restrain his friend's frustration. "These are orders from the top, dude!" He pushed Tim back into a couch. "There is nothing we can do about it."

Tim sucked his teeth. He couldn't disobey Shade's orders, but A. J. was his friend. "Fine, I'll roll with this punch this time, besides I know that I have a more pressing mission. But, and I know you are listening Shade, don'e expect me to put my friends on hold to keep this mission safe, every time."

"I believe it." Shade replied from a phone that was off the hook.

Tim stormed out of the room and back to his apartment. He had to work that night anyway.

* * *

"I can't believe this." Dwight was in trouble. But 78 was like a brother to him. If he tried to save Dwight, he'd no doubt have to kill 78.. But he wanted to save 78, too. Mario hung his head. "Molly," he asked. "What would you do?"

But Molly wasn't there.

A/N: Short chapter, but I want you go get used to the new timezone. I tried to give each side a cliffhanger! O.o So let's do a recap

1. Victoria is nutzoid

2. Crocker is getting scared

3. Tim and Trixie are married illegally by one of the few ministers left alive

4. Mario and Yuki have reunited (though tension will be there soon to come)

5. How did 78 realize Mario was still alive O.o dun dun dun dun

6. Where is Molly? =O


	12. Chapter 12

The hovercraft came close to the last spot Dwight's group had signaled from before the attack. Mario jumped from the Hovercraft as it was still moving, in true bad boy fashion, as soon as he saw the dead bodies littering the desert ground.

"No!" he outran the hovercraft to the first body. He recognized it as Chad.

There was a hole literally drilled through Chad's stomach and both of his arms were missing. Tad was going to be emotionally unstable after hearing about this.

Mario looked at the other bodies forlorn. "How could 78 do this? These guys never did anything to you!"

"Mario!" Yuki called to her boyfriend. "Dwight isn't here! I think he is the prisoner!"

Mario breathed a sigh of relief. This was both good and bad. Dwight was still alive and able to be saved. However, Dwight also knew the most about the Vickstralia Resistance out of all of the rebels that were in this recon party. "We have to find him!" He stood and made his way to the others. "Where do you think 78 could have taken him?"

Lawrence looked about the desert for any clues. "here." He pointed to a set of tire tracks. "You always said 78 never really thought things through..."

"Let's go."

* * *

Tim looked out the window as his wife stealthily made her way down the street.

"Daddy," Tommy asked from his room, "where is Mommy going?"

"She is going to find a friend." Tim replied kind of saddened. He really wanted to go on the mission with her. He had known A. J. for how long? And they were just going to cut them out of this right? He sighed. "Go back to bed, Tommy." He couldn't help but wondering about his children. Even though they were not related to him through blood, they looked like spitting images of him and his wife.

"Alright, Daddy." Then Tommy was gone. Back to bed. And he would wake up the next day to his normal life. Oh, how much Tim wished he could sleep then wake up ten-years-old again back in Dimmsdale. "I always wanted to have an action-packed life. Hell, I even wished for one once. But now that it is real..." He wondered about a lot of things from his alternate life. He wondered how Cosmo and Wanda were, he wondered how Trixie was, how his friends were doing. Was he still there or was he missing. And if he was missing... then did anyone even notice?

* * *

kristen looked around to make certain that no one was following her then pulled the last part of her suit over her face. It was a simple helmet void of any sort of detail or feature. But on the inside, read-outs and information are plastered all over the HUD. She quickly sorts through the information through a practiced pattern of blinks and eye movements. Then she continues her search for the lost genius.

"Oh, A. J... Whatever you got captured researching better be worth it!" She leapt into the air and the anti-gravity boots activated, propelling her upward and forward. Wherever A. J. was being kept, her new boots would be the key to finding him. After all, mercs seemed to like hiding Resistance members in rooms higher up now.

Kristen activated the thermal eyes on her helmet. "This aught to help me out," She said to herself.

In the distance drones buzzed over her head. Below her, she saw to worn-out streets of Vicksdale. As she approached the limits of West Vickstralia, she could quickly tell that no one lived or even wanted to be there. The war had really taken a toll on the world. Was it really all worth the pain? She heard the sound of a laser being charged and decided to continue her musings another time.

Below her a man dressed in a long trench coat and holding a portable laser cannon was looking straight at her.

"Crap. Why would he even be here? Besides, aren't those cannons illegal?"

The man fired twice more.

"Oh yeah," She remembered. "He's a merc. Everything they do is illegal..." She pointed her left arm at the man and a rocket fired from her wrist.

The merc turned to un, "He he, good luck, Merc." Kristen giggled. "What is a heat-seeking missile. It wont miss."

Sure enough, no matter where the man ran, the missile followed like a puppy dog. Soon it truck true and the man was covered in a sticky web-like structure. Trixie landed in front of the man. "Heat seeking sticky missiles; gotta love them." She planted a punch to the man's face. "That is for shooting first."

The man spat back, "I'll keep that in mind the next time we meet, hero."

"There might not be a next time, freak. Now where is my friend?"

The merc just laughed. "I can take you to him. All you have to do is free me."

Kristen almost laughed. "Not a chance, scum. You just give me his location and I will be on my.. way?"

The merc phased from out of the web and laughed. "Intangibly. Gotta love it."

"What the heck?" Kristen was only able to utter those three words before a barrage of laser fire streamed her way. She ducked to one side then rolled behind some crates. "I need a plan..."

"C'mon out, hero!" The Merc taunted as he waited for his weapon to recharge. "I know that you want so find your friend, because he is _very _anxious to see you!"

"What have you done, merc?" Kristen shouted back as she tried to think of a plan.

"nothing yet. It is all a timed operation." The Merc laughed back.

Kristen jumped from her perch to attack the Merc, but he revealed another gun and blasted her back.

_Duh! He is a hardened bounty hunter!_ _There was no way he only had the cannon._ Kristen checked her suits vitals. The suits energy projector had absorbed most of the energy blast and even converted some of it into power, but the physical impact was too powerful to have been completely dissipated. Her communication system was fried. She was alone in the dark."Damn."

* * *

A. J. looked around the confines of his cell. A standard room size with only one window and one door. The door was locked from the outside and bare on the inside. The window as barred and the glass was no doubt some sort of synthesized transparent material. A. J. then checked the floor. Solid concrete at least haft a foot thick. Then the ceiling. It was thin but something was on top of it to keep it down. That was the weak point. Now how to push whatever was on top was the difficult part. Then he checked himself. He had nothing. All of his gadgets were taken when he was captured. The only thing outside of his clothing that he had was the Time Chip. A green chip that had the power to travel anywhere and any-when in time. It was the reason he was in this entire mess in the first place. All he needed was a means of powering it stably and he had heard about a new belt Victoria's R &D had in place. That was how he was caught and ended up down the same routine over and over for the past few days.

"This is a royal mess you have gotten yourself into now, A. J." He berated himself. "If you had just told Shade about your plan, you could have had support!" He sighed and sat own for the first time. "Oh well... At least you got this nifty palm glove thing." He looked into his hand; around his palm was a glove thing with a green center. he wasn't sure what it was an dwithout his tools, he would never be sure.

Suddenly there was an explosion and he was thrown from his seat into the wall. "Someone is trying to get me outta here!"Instinctively he thrusted his hands into the air and waved them around. A green beam blasted a hole through the roof and whatever was on top of it. "The hell?" he looked at his palm. The palm thing was a cannon.

* * *

Kristen dodged another searing hot stream of energy. _I cannot keep this up forever!_ she thought, _I am bound to screw up sooner or later... _She dodged another blast. _And let's hope that it is later! _ She returned fire as the merc waited for his weapon to recharge. Her blasts were nowhere near as powerful as his, but they were just as effective. The Merc had to scurry behind a large crate to avoid being hit. With the merc hiding for awhile, Trixie turned her attention to where the green plasma bolt had fired from. A small concrete bunker with a large trailer holding down the thin top was smouldering and A. J. was feebly crawling out.

"A. J.!" Kristen threw a grenade to the crate the marc was hiding behind to keep him temporarily occupied and she made her way to her friend.

A. J. looked to the person who had shouted his name, but already knew who it was. "Trixie! Thank god!" He waited for her to pull him from the hole of his cell.

"How did you even blow a hole in this thing?" She inquired. "It is at least 10 feet thick!"

A. J. looked back the the story-thick trailer that had kept the ceiling down and chuckled. "Well, I had a few tricks up my sleeve."

Kristen pushed him down playfully, "Wow okay, why didn't you use that before I was called to this deathtrap?"

A. J. didn't have a chance to respond; a laser whizzed just between the two and A. J.'s former prison exploded into bits. "Holy crap!"

Acting fast, Kristen grabbed her friend and flew into the air, narrowly missing another laser. "Remember those tricks you said you have?"

A. J. nodded

"Well, now would be a great time for one!" Just as she finished her sentence, a laser severed her hold on A. J. It did not strike either one, but was close enough for them both to instinctivly release each other in a flinch. "Shit!"

A. J. plummeted fast and hit the dirt. He was unconscious, but obviously unharmed otherwise.

The merc smiled. "Looks like I win, hero." he readied the cannon and fired without warning, knocking Kristen from the sky with one shot.

"Once again Denger Dinkleberg gets his man." He dropped the cannon and reached for his side arm.

"Hey Dorkleberg!"

The merc turned and laughed. A. J. was kneeling weakly with his hand outstretched, palm open. "Let me guess; stop?" He fired once at Kristen, who rolled to the side to avoid the laser. "you will have to do better than that, fool."

A. J. smirked. "I plan to." He fired the green bolt at the merc. The beam took the enemy off of his feet, through two crates and then against a brick wall. The reocoil of the blast sent A. J. flying back, too.

"A. J.!" Kristen fired another sticky missile at the Merc and then rushed to her crumpled friend's side. "How'd you wake up?"

"I have trianed myself to recognize the reality from the dream."

Kristen skeptically looked at him. "Whatever that means, it worked!"

The two looked back at the place where the merc should have been, but he was gone.

* * *

"...and his name is what, now?"  
"Dinkleburg."

"Hm." Even though they couldn't see anything other than Shade's masked face, they knew he was researching the unknown assailant. "Seems to be a bounty hunter with a thing for being meticulous to a 'T' leaving no loose ends. You might want to proceed carefully, this man may come for you again. You have injured his reputation as the best."

Tim hugged Kristen close with one hand. "Well I will make certain that you are never put in danger by that fellow."

"What are ya gonna do? Go find him and tell him to stay away?" Kristen shook her head. "He is a bounty hunter, that means if there is still a bounty on our heads then he is definitely going after it. As is every other bounty hunter out there."

"Good thing there aren't many hunters then."

"True..." added A. J. "And we could always... you know... even the playing field...?"

Tim and Kristen looked at the bald young man. "Huh?"

"The easiest way to catch a bounty hunter is to hire him. We can't do that because the price on our head is something that he cannot resist. So the second best thing is to hire the same kind of person who thinks like him to actually go after him. We have to hire a Hunter to go after Dinkleberg."

"Right..." Countered Tim. "And what do we have to barter with? Victoria and Crocker have limitless funds because of the little fact that they rule the world. We are basically dirt poor."

"Not really. Give me a day. I can hack into any computer system. I'm sure I can... scrounge up something."

"i concur." Shade said. "It is a good plan. And A. J."

A. J. stopped walking, "Yes?"

"Send that palm cannon over to R &D asap. I wish to see if we can mass produce them for our cause."

A. J. smiled, "Of course."

* * *

Jax shook his head. He was down on his luck yet again. He had been fired from five jobs in less than four months, his lang-term lover left him for another man, and to top it off he was now homeless. "It's a good day to die..." he sighed.

"Hey, Jax!" Fred called to him. "How is the life?"

Fred was his suck-up perfectionist of a former neighbor. Fred's life was perfect, or as close to perfect as a life could get. Jax didn't respond to Fred.

"Hey come on, now. It can't be all that bad. After all, you have that side job."

Jax had never actually told anyone about his side job; bounty hunting. He had started bounty hunting after losing his third job to help pay off debts. Those he owed money to never questioned how he got the money and frankly didn't care. All they cared about was getting their cold, hard cash back. His lover asked once or twice but he always called himself an investor. Of course she didn't like that mystery so that was another notch on the why-she-left-me list.

"Yes I do, thank you, Fred." Jax replied matter-of-factly.

But Fred persisted. "What you need," he said swinging up to Jax, "is a drink. Here, hows about I buy you a drink, Jax?"

A free drink? How could he say no? And he was sure that he wouldn't have to pay back Fred. _And if he does ask, I'll kill him._

* * *

"...so I said to my boss 'well I;m just happy to be of service to you.' And he replied back 'you mean to Victoria!' Isn't that a killer?" Fred finished the story via gasps between laughs.

Jax chuckled in sympathy. "He he, yeah..." he stared into the bowels of his drink but dared not sip. From Fred's actions, there was something in the water. Then there was a hush. Fred and Jax turned.

Walking into the bar were two men, both overweight and obviously officers higher up into the government. But it wasn't who they were that silenced the tavern, it was their conversation.

"Who'da thunk it, eh? The Resistance is paying money to get a bounty hunter off of their tail end!"

"I can't believe it. They are pretty desperate."

"Not really, you know who we hired, right?"

"No, I don't."

"Dangar Dinkleberg! It has been only a week and he is already causing those rebel scum to sweat!"

"We sure are getting our monies worth!"

Jax turned from their conversation. "Wow, a bounty on a bounty hunter's head. How ironic..." He pulled out his cell phone to check the local bounty listings. Sure enough, there was a bounty for 1.2 million dollars and a 'special extra reward' for the person who brought in Dangar Dinkleberg to the Resistance. "With that kind of money... That is enough to get back my house plus so much more!"

"Did you say something, Jax?"

Jax genuinely smiled. "Nope, but I have just realized something that has really pepped me up. Thanks, Fred!"

Fred smiled and gurgled a laugh in his complacency. "All it takes is a little ale and a talk from Fred to make it all better, huh?"

Jax just beelined out of the place before Fred had the chance to asked what exactly about the talk had lifted his spirits. Or at least before Fred asked to be reimbursed for the drink.

Jax rushed to his car, his base of operations, and began checking his equipment. he had a job He had a calling. Dinkleberg was as perfect a bounty hunter as Fred was a neighbor. This meant there would be little to no competition to taking on the bounty. Only those as desperate and crazy as Jax would even think about tackling the best._Then again what have I got to lose?_

_A/N: _BOUNTY HUNTERS! Ok now that I have that out of my system I have an announcement! The end is near! (kinda) I have looked at my timeline of events and predict that there are only about 10 more chapters after this! (that's a ton!) But still These chapter I am hoping will be more powerful than the previous arc (the previous arc being chapters 1-10). So just a little something to whet your appetite for the next chapter.

1. Dwight as a prisoner

2. Bounty Hunter recruitment (im hoping for an ESB-isk scene lol)!

3. What about TIm's secret mission?

4. WHERE IS MOLLY?

ps: Oh have you noticed some items from Channel Chasers in the story yet? A tie-in is coming BOUNTY HUNTERS!


	13. Chapter 13

Mario's hover craft zoomed onward, following the tracks made by 78's vehicle. _Oh, dude Dwight... Where the hell are you?_ He looked to Yuki; she looked calm but just as worried. he reached out and grasped her hand firmly. "I hope he is okay..." he whispered.

"I do, too," Yuki responded just as quietly. Neither of them wanted to spark a conversation with Lawrence.

Their leader was already on edge when he saw the bodies. Dwight missing didn't help much... Especially after Molly broke Dwight's heart. Dwight was kinda unstable.

"Do you think he is dead now?" Yuki asked.

Mario shook his head, "No. I know the kid. He is right as rain. He is resourceful. He will survive." _I hope... Damn Molly.. Why did you have to leave?_

But Molly didn't answer him.

* * *

"You realize that I am giving you the chance of a lifetime, right" 78 asked.

Dwight could barely make out the intimidating figure before him in the fuzzy and dim green light. "I don't even know what you are talking about, Dark Soldier."

78 laughed. "I've been keeping tabs on you all. I know how you all work; what makes you all… tick."

Dwight shivered at the laugh. He remembered all the stories about 78 from Mario. 78 was not all brawn... but mostly brawn. And that is what mattered. He had been the heavy weapons expert and from the looks of the soldier, he had the bulk to support such artillery. But there was something off about 78's offer. It just seemed too simple. "There has to be a catch." Dwight said as he silently shifted to his left. He had noticed a sharpened stone jutting out of the sand when he was thrown into the tent earlier in the night. _If I could just cut my bonds..._ he thought.

78 laughed again. "There _is_ no catch, funny guy!" He bellowed. "I could have killed you back there, but I know you. I know you very well, Dwight,"

"Right, creeper status much?" Dwight began rubbing his binds against the sharp rock. All he had to do was keep 78 talking and he would be free. No doubt the rock would be able to stab through the Dark Soldier armor, if not, then at least surprise the enemy.

"I could have killed you!" 78 exploded.

Dwight's mind went back a moment to when his recon team had been surprised by 78's relentless one-man attack. Though vastly outnumbered, 78's training and element of surprise worked to his advantage very well. He had slaughtered all but Dwight with various guns.

The experienced soldier had started off with pistol then he had moved on to the high-powered rifle slung on his back. But not before he had pistol-wipped three rebels into bloody pulps. Dwight shivered at the memory. "True..."

"Look, I know what he did to you..."

"Who is 'he?'" Dwight asked, still rubbing the binds.

"Who have we been talking about? Mario! I need your help to kill Mario! He needs to be killed! Besides, you remember what happened to Molly."

**-flashback-**

"Mario! Dwight! Help" Molly was screaming.

Mario just stood.

**-end flashback-**

78 took a few short steps to Dwight. "She was right there, and he just just watched."

**-flashback-**

"Please! Somebody, help me!" Molly cried out.

Mario grabbed a staff and reached out for her, but a laser bored a hole through Molly's plam.

**-end flashback-**

Molly's scream at her ruined hand rang in Dwight's ears anew. He shook his head vigorously. "Stop it..."

78 started so circle Dwight slowly. "He deserted her!"

**-flashback-**

"I'll be back!" Mario called out to the wounded girl.

Molly just screamed more. "For Fate's sake! Make the pain stop!"

A bullet struck Dwight's shoulder. Pain

**-end flashback-**

"And then..." 78 leaned into Dwight's ear, "he deserted you..."

**-flashback-**

"Dwight!" Mario shook the younger boy, "Dwight! You have to stay here with Molly!"

Dwight slapped Mario aside, "No! We can save her from the vortex!"

"Not alone! No we can't!" Mario shook his head, "I'll be right back; I promise!"

**-end flashback-**

"He said he was gonna come back." Dwight spoke quietly, more to himself.

**-flashback-**

Mario shook his head, "I'll be right back; I promise!"

**-end flashback-**

"He promis-"

"He lied!" 78 interrupted harshly. "He lied. He lies! He always lies!"

**-flashback-**

"I promise"

**-end flashback-**

"That is how he survives everything! He goes for what he wants and leaves others with the bad end of the stick!"

Dwight was free of his bonds and exploded forward into 78's chest, knocking his captor back. "Not true! He promised!"

"And who did he save instead?" 78 shot back quickly.

-**flashback**-

Dwight stumbled out of the cave. There was a person coming forward, he was carrying another person; female. Even though he remembered what he had just witnessed, a part of him hoped it was Molly. It wasn't.

Mario came into focus carrying Yuki. "I'm sorry, Dwight..."

**-end flashback-**

"Yuki..."

"That's right. Mario appeared on the scene and stole her from you... And then he dropped her. Then when Yuki was back, he had no more need for Molly and if he didn't want her, no one could have her... Dwight. Everyone blamed you for her death."

**-flashback-**

Lawrence looked sadly at Molly's mangled body and broke down.

Dwight was crying biter tears and looked at Mario.

Mario shook his head, his eyes bloodshot from crying. "Why couldn't you have just followed what I had said?"

**-end flashback-**

"They all blamed you Dwight, but you only did what you felt necessary. Mario left and what happened to Molly?"

**-flashback-**

Molly smiled her beautiful smile. And then collapsed.

"Mo-Molly?" Dwight tentatively called to his love. But she didn't stir.

Molly was dead.

**-end flashback-**

Dwight stumbled back and then fell to a kneeling position, staring into space. "Molly's dead..." His voice trailed off but his mouth didn't stop moving to the sentence.

"That's right, Dwight." 78 agreed solemnly, "And whose fault is that?"

"Mario." Dwight looked down and realized that he had etched Mario and Molly's name into the sand with his figure subconsciously. In a simple rage, Dwight grabbed the sharp rock and stabbed it through the names. "Mario must die."

78 grinned.

* * *

Tim watched as bounty hunters and mercs filled the conference room. The suggestion was an easy one, getting a bounty hunter crazy or desperate enough to do the job was easier than previously thought... The hard part was finding one that could actually deliver. That was why the tests were going to take place to see which of the hunters would be at least adequate to do the job. Oh, how Tim wished he could watch A. J. run the diagnostics and tests on the bounty hunters, but his reason for being here had nothing to do with finding the hunter who would 'off' the man responsible for capturing and antagonizing his best friend. No, his mission was to report to Shade for a very important briefing before starting his training to become a great Dark Soldier.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Tim reasoned, "After all, I was in their program before..." He turned from the conference room and walked to the dark room where he had 'first' encountered Shade.

"Tim!" Chester called out to him.

"Hey, bud. What's up?" Tim turned. "I'm almost late for a meeting."

"Check this out! Proof that there is an alternate reality like you said!" Chester held up an ordinary-looking baseball bat.

"Chester," Tim wasn't the least bit impressed, "That is just a simple baseball bat... Besides how long have my memories been revealed?"

"But look!" The blond young man's thumb was on a golden embossed circle with the phrase 'Bucky McBadbat Special' engraved in the gold.

Tim looked frightened. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"Haven't you heard? Small wormholes have been opening up all over the world! They are relatively unnoticed by the mass population, of course, and are too small for people to travel through, but... This bat fell from one this morning!" Chester was so excited. "My last name is on this bat... Tim, was my father a famous pro baseball player in the other reality?"

Tim gulped, "Um..." The truth was his dad was famous. Famous for being a failure. "Yeah, something like that..."

"Sweet!" Chester held the bat up in triumph. "McBadbat's rule! This is my new lucky token!"

_Great_. Tim thought... _I really wouldn't use that as a lucky charm._ But he just couldn't bring himself to tell Chester. "Look, dude, I have to go. I'll catch you later though,yeah?"

"Of course not!" Chester replied like a child that had just eaten three bags of candy and then drank two mugs of coffee. "I'm playin' ball tonight!"

_All the better._ Tim thought. There was no doubt in his mind that he would not be bag that night anyway. With that thought, Tim made his way into the dark room.

The dark room had definitely changed over the years. When he was a kid, the room's equivalent was known as the 'Briefing Room,' but every since the aux-order had come in and they had gone even deeper into hiding, there was no way the monitors from the Briefing Room could have been saved or salvaged. Thus all orders from Shade had come over a small 21-inch screen. Tim sat in the chair facing the screen and waited patiently. Nothing.

After many minutes of waiting, Tim wanted to scream. Shade had ordered him to be in the room strictly at 8. It was pushing 8:20 and Shade's transmission had not come in yet.

"Seriously, Shade?" Tim was really contemplating on leaving when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Don't get up, Timothy." Shade's calm voice came through clear. Too clear to be any transmission from any electronic device. That only meant one thing.

"Shade?" Tim spun around quickly and before him was the enigmatic leader of the Resistance. "What in blazes?"

"Please, Timothy."

Tim frowned. There was no way in hell that this could actually be the one that had actually led the Resistance for so long from behind a television screen for half of eternity before him. "You are a lot shorter than I had thought you'd be."

Shade just shrugged. "This mission, Timothy, verges on suicidal. Only one operative has actually survived being undercover, and that was with the older, less strict system of rule."

Tim frowned, "Thanks for the personal appearance and worry, Shade." He said feeling a very odd feeling of resentment, "But save it."

"I understand, Timothy." Shade reached up to remove the hood that had for so long hid his face and pulled it down revealing to Tim a face that he had forgotten.

"Dark Laser!" Tim inched back.

"No, Timothy." Shade, in Dark Laser's armor and helmet, removed the grotesque headpiece.

"Dad?"

"Hello, son."

* * *

-two days later-

"Daddy!" Tammy and Tommy squealed simultaneously as they rushed their adoptive father.

"He-hey!" He lifted up both kids in his strong arms.

"Welcome home, hero." Kristen kissed her husband's cheek, to the disgust of her children. "How was the business trip?"

Tim looked into her eyes. He was not allowed to tell even her about his undercover mission. All she knew was that he had been assigned a secret mission, but she knew no details. But that was not the bit of information on his mind as he looked into her pure blue eyes. "Work was fine, Sweetie." He replied.

Kristen frowned but decided not to push his buttons just yet.

Tommy wiggled from his father's arms and tugged at his father's coat. "Daddy, tell us about Auntie Tootie!"

Tim smiled. Tootie was stuck in the castle, but every month he stole away the Princess of the world from her stronghold and took her out for dinner. Of course Kristen didn't like the idea of her husband taking the beautiful sister of their sworn enemy on dates every-so-often, but she had to admit that if it wasn't for Toria, she probably wouldn't have been rescued.

"Please, not tonight, honey?" Kristen sweetly coaxed.

Tim looked at her, "Why not? You know the children love stories of their aunt." Tim did not want his children to know anything about the Resistance. He wanted to them to stay as innocent as possible in this world. But he couldn't deny them knowledge of the girl who had always believed in him openly in his alternate memory. To keep Toria in their lives, Tim affectionately told the children about 'Aunt Tootie'; a beautiful and strong young woman who knew what she wanted and persevered until she achieved her goal. He used her pet name to keep her true identity hidden from them.

Tim set Tammy down and began to tell them about their 'Aunt' and when he was tasked with keeping her entertained. Kristen just shook her head and moved to the bedroom.

* * *

The formidable figure of Shade passed in front of Jax. In the pit of his stomach he felt fear. He was sure that many of the Resistance did also. He had heard rumors that Shade had never been seen in public before. _Things really are winding down for the Resistance... I hope when it all comes down to it, I will be right in siding with the this Resistance._ Jax stole glances tothe left and the right. The number of bounty hunters had dropped fast from 200 plus to just six. That had to count for something.

"...and there will be a substantial reward for taking out Dangar Dinkleberg." Shade's cape flowed like a black river as he turned and faced them, his helmet with down-turned mouth grate grimaced at the six bounty hunters. "You are free to use any methods necessary to take him down. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you have proof to bring us." His voice was placid and even. It was the exact opposite of what was expected to emanate from the grotesque headpiece.

Jax looked down the line of hunters when Shade finished. There were two hunters that were obviously twins; both the same height and dressed in some sort of ninja assassin outfit. Another had the appearance of a cyborg. Jax was sure he was one of Victoria's failed cyborg experiments. The last hunter was fearsome in his spiky armor. The head piece seemed to be like some sort of globe, but hanging from its top were a lot of teeth, no doubt from past kills.

"I'm in the big league now." Jax whispered to himself. He was just glad that the helmet he wore disguised his face and his uncertainty.

Shade turned back to the bounty hunters after what seemed like eternity and handed them each the information required for them to finish the task. "Now, go."

The bounty hunters turned and left in an orderly fashion.

* * *

"What's happening?" Dwight looked about scared.

"Aww don't tell me you have second thoughts, Dwight." 78 spun a few dials and fluids began pumping into and out of Dwight.

Dwight screamed. He was very ure now that he had just betrayed what he had spent his entire life fighting against. _But it doesn't matter, because it is what needs to be done._ Over and over in his mind's eye, he saw her die. His ears rang not just because of the needles pricking him and the fluids pumping in and out, but because he heard her scream. "I'm doing this for you molly." he whispered in agony. _Mario must die. Mario must die. Mario must die..._ And he repeated that mantra over and over throughout the experiment until he blacked out.

* * *

As soon as he stepped outside, all hell broke loose. The spiky armored bounty hunter rolled to the side and Jax wisely and quietly followed. One of the twins stepped on a circular object... and exploded. _Holy crap!_ Jax raised his pistol of fired at the remaining twin who had began shooting in his direction. his second bullet struck the ninja twin in the knee, knocking him to the ground. "Phew."

The sound of a motor revving snapped Jax out of his shock: the spiky hunter was leaving on a motor bike. "He tried to kill us all! Anything goes, I suppose..." Jax activated his hover coupe and took off in hot pursuit of the spiky hunter. The cyborg was no doubt following him. His suspicions were affirmed when a red-hot beam flew passed him and struck the spiky hunter's ride.

"Augh!"The spiky hunter crashed off the road, but was otherwise unharmed.

_No doubt he will be getting back into this game very soon... _Jax pushed the hunter out of his mind and focused on the cyborg hunter still shooting his way.

* * *

Tommy was smiling, "Daddy, thanks for the story!"

Tammy was equally pleased with the latest tale about Aunt Tootie. "Daddy, is Aunt Tootie really nice?"

Tim smirked, "Of course she is nice, why would you ask such a thing? She has a kind heart and an equally nice face."

Kristen stepped out of the kitchen and shook her head. "You 'Aunt Tootie' is no such thing."

"Kristen," Tim warned, "You know just as well as I do that Aunt Tootie is a kind person and she loves us. She got this home for us!"

Kristen scrunched up her face,, "Kids, all you need to know is that Aunt Tootie that your father tells you about doesn't really exist. She isn't that nice."

"Don't listen to her, kids." Tim stepped between his wife and his children,

"'Aunt Tootie' is a coward-"

"Kristen..."

"...a weak woman. Self-absorbed."

"Kids, your mother has had a long day,"

"She is a bit-"

"Trixie!" He turned to Kristen, "You need to lie down. Isn't that right, Trixie?"

Kristen tried to hold back the smile that always came after hearing her childhood nickname, but it came through anyway. She hugged her husband and whispered in her ear, "I just hate Victoria so much..."

Tim patted her back with reassurance and looked passed her to his briefcase. "I know... But soon, things will change. I guarantee it."

Tommy and Tammy looked at each other, confused, then looked out the wall-sized window at the Castle in the distance. They were blissfully unaware that they were looking at the home of their precious yet controversial 'Aunt Totie.' Yet they weren't feeling blissful at all...

A/N: A new chapter in less than a week? O...M...G... hahahaha Well, this one just came to me and I just couldn't let it go! It is a powerful one for me. I almost cried when describing Molly's death... And I am serious. It has been just over two years since I have started this story and I am feeling sad that it is coming ot a close, but know that all EPICs have to end sometime or else they run the risk of becoming too... ordinary. Well I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please please PLEASE read AND review lol.

Recap:

1. Mario and posse still searchin for Dwight

2. Dwight hates Mario with passion

3. Molly is... dead... :( (Mario's fault?)

4. Shade is Tim's father?

5. ESB Bounty hunter scene!

6. Bounty Hunter war for the bounty starts

7. Tim has started to train to be a Dark Soldier elite

8. WORMHOLES!

9. Tim and trixie are definitely not on the same page about Tootie

10. umm... Chapter 14 next! lol there are officially (as official as I can get) 23 chapters total... So that means 10 more chapters.


	14. Chapter 14

Tim emerged from Shade's secret transport vehicle. "Where am I?" He asked.

Shade replied, "You are at my home, son."

"Please," Tim shuffled a little bit away from Shade, "stop calling me that."

It had been a powerful revelation for him. Shade was his father in this world. But he also was Dark Laser. The timeline here really was wonky and Tim didn't understand how his father even had the will and the intelligence to start the Resistance, much less know about both realities. There were still so many questions Tim had for his father and Shade was obviously not interested in answering any of them. In fact, when he revealed his true identity, he didn't even let Tim ask any questions, he just moved right along into briefing Tim on the assignment._ Which is exactly what he is about to begin doing now._ Tim thought.

"Come on, Tim, it is time for you to start your Dark Soldier training. We can skip the first few sessions seeing as you were once in-training before you escaped..." Shade continued to talk as he led Tim down the path the the dark house that was Shade's home.

* * *

Dwight's body twitched. It pulsed with life in tremendous spasms. 78 looked through the one-way medical window at the body. Somehow Dwight's weak body and unstable mind had survived the process. Just like he had calculated. He wasn't too sure why Dwight was so strong in willpower, but whatever furthered his goal would be of assistance to 78.

"Do you wish for me to release him?" a doctor asked.

78 didn't respond right away. Inside Dwight were two emotions wrestling for domination of his mind. If he was released too early, then Dwight would turn against 78 and the Dark Soldier Branch he was a part of. Dwight was, 78 hated to admit it, stronger than he was. The process had given Dwight enhanced human abilities for the ultimate super soldier. Dwight was the test, the pawn to make certain the process could work. They didn't need him to survive, just needed the readouts from the results. It was obvious now that it was something 78 could survive easily, but Dwight's survival was a factor that he had kind of hoped wouldn't happen. _At least now I should have a powerful ally._

"Not yet... He needs to stew some more."

The doctor obeyed.

* * *

Dwight awoke with a start. _Where am I? What happened? Where is 78? hat did I just do? _These thoughts were quickly shoved aside as pain shot through his body once more. Then he remembered the deal. "Why can't I move?" He mouthed. But nothing came from his voice box. _Shit!_

_

* * *

_

The trail finally died and with it died any hope for finding Dwight. Lawrence, Yuki, Mario and a few other rebels had been following 78's tracks for days. But they came across nothing. When the tracks died, they saw the sandy imprint of a landed flight vehicle. 78 was long gone leaving no trace of where his destination was.

On the way back, Mario looked to his comm and sighed. "Maybe we should call for help?"

"But who would we call?" Yuki asked cynically. "I really hate to say this, but Dwight is only one person. Not to mention he can keep his mind in really good shape and lock away secrets. He will be fine."

Lawrence nodded sadly, "Yeah, when we get back, we will regroup and try to plan to find Dwight."

Mario looked down at his comm again.

"Mario, it's gonna be fine. We will find Dwight and he will be in great shape. For all we know, he could have escaped!"

Mario had to laugh at the notion of Dwight escaping. "Right right right..."

Their craft approached the Bunker and immediately they were swarmed with Resistance members young and old asking about the status of the recon team.

Lawrence stood and asked for everyone to settle down. As he did this, Mario was pulled aside by Ben. He remembered Ben as the very first person, aside from Molly, who greeted him at the Resistance base so many years ago. Of course, Ben's greeting was a Jetfire pistol in the face. But after everything about Mario had been cleared up, Ben became his protégé so to speak. He had even taught been how to disarm a man in three tenths of a second. Then Ben was sent on a mission to the German Sector for a few years. he had only been back for two years now.

"What's up, Ben?"

Ben smiled, "Mario, I have someone I want you to meet." He pulled Mario away from everyone else quickly.

"Hey hey! Easy on the arms!"

But Ben didn't slow down, instead he sped up. "Don't worry, we are almost there!"

"What is going on here?" Mario pulled back from Ben as they reached Ben's room. "You aren't gonna try to kill me again, are you?"

"On the contrary," Ben replied, "I'm going to try to give you a new life." Standing in Ben's room was a man dressed in a tattered robe holding a book.

"Ben... Who is the robed freak-o?" Mario eyed the man suspicioulsy.

"Mario, meet Luigi. he is a minister!"

"What?"

"With a license to marry, might I add?" Luigi responded with a tired pride. "I am one of the last on this forsaken rock."

Ben looked into Mario's face. Mario's eyes were tearing up.

"Hey, Mister Luigi, how''s about you start preparing for one more wedding?"

* * *

Kristen looked into her children's eyes. This would be her last time seeing them for a very long time. "I love you both very much," She hugged each one 'good-bye' and ushered them onto the waiting train.

The train would take her kids to a temporary boarding school. The school was run by Victoria's Dark Soldiers and was known for teaching students quality subjects. But Kristen also knew the brainwashing that was sure to take place. She only hoped that her children would remember what she had told them about their 'medicine.' "Please, God, keep them safe." Then she turned and walked to her car.

Once in the driver's seat, she opened the manual that had been sent to her from Vickstralia. It hadn't come from Shade, but from the leader of the Vickstralia branch, a man named Lawrence. "What could this guy want?" She remembered that years ago they had sent a strike team to steal some battery for the chair that would later change the world's view of itself. However, she had never been there herself. _Could be fun_. Kristen stretched her arms and then started for home to pack her things. This mission was going to be a long one, a hard one. She could tell. She had a nose for the hard missions.

"Alright. Let's just see about this..." She opened her closet, and then the closet hidden in the closet. Inside was the battlesuit that she had worn when she had gone after A. J.'s captor. "Slightly damaged, but nothing I can't deal with." She put the armor on and then posed for herself in the full-lenght mirror. "Tim is right, this does accentuate my curves..." As she began to attach the adhesive armor plates to the suit, her thoughts drifted to Tim's work. She wondered how he was and what mission was so secret that she could not know anything about it.

"I know how to keep a secret. Hell, I kept my love for him a secret for over 10 years!" She looked at herself in the mirror again, doing minor adjustments to her suit. She then donned the gauntlets and helmet that completed the battlesuit. She looked at herself again.

The battlesuit was comprised of two sets of armor: an underarmor and a more powerful segmented armor. The underarmor was more for offensive power than for protection. It was an exoskeleton that reenforced her joints and accelerated her movements by 30%. That was just enough to dodge most small arms fire. The plates were the defensive part of the armor. Covering her chest, abdomen, shoulders, thighs, back, and shins, the plates were as state-of-the-art as the Resistance could get. Of course she had it because she happened to be friends with R & D's leading researcher, Chester. The suit was not yet in mass-production phase as it was still being tested out... by her.

"Doesn't matter, with this suit, I can easily match Dark Solders, Elites, and Ninjas with ease. When this war comes to the bloodbath phase, this armor will save lives." She flicked a switch on the left gauntlet and the HUD of her helmet came to life. Read-outs of her vitals and the suit's statistics filled her view.

As she deciphered the information flooding the screen and sorted the files, she reached for her rifle. It was time for her mission.

* * *

Kristen adjusted the seatbelt in the plane. She hadn't seen Remy Buxaplenty since the days before she had been captured. No one was actually sure what actually happened to Remy, especially after Tim's memories were shown to the world. There was a rumor that Victoria had found out about his operation he had been incarcerated for a time before his parents bailed him out.

"So," Remy's voice, much older, came over the speakers. He sounded weary, he definitely had seen and been through a lot in his life. "how has life treated you?"

Kristen shrugged even though she knew he wouldn't see her movements. "It's never been better, actually. I got kids. Married to Tim. We are almost a normal family."

"No one is normal anymore, Trix." Remy replied over the speaker. Then there was a long pause. "So, you know anything about the people you will be working with?"

"Nope. All I know is that one is some sort of former undercover operative and the other is their leader."

"That's right, Trix. Mario is the undercover dude. Really nice guy, should be hitting his 30s about now..." Remy was silent after that.

"Remy?" Kristen called to her old friend. Her response was a screen descending from the ceiling to her face.

"Hello, Kristen Tang." The figure was Shade. He was in some sort of gym and behind him was a man doing various warm-up exercises. "In your upcoming mission, you will have to deal with a lot of stress. Also, you husband is on a secret mission-"

Kristen cut Shade off, "Shade! I want to know exactly what my husband is doing! It is my right as his wife to know how he is and what his mission is!"

Shade, of course, wasn't phased in the slightest. "Why don't you talk to him yourself?" Shade gestured behind him and the man in the background came up to the screen.

"Tim? What are you doing?" She looked at the Dark Soldier uniform on his body in shock.

"It is for the mission, Trixie. I'm going undercover."

Trixie looked at her husband. "I really don't know what to say except this: you look like your brother, Tommy." Her eyes watered.

Tim bit his lip, "Oh geez, Kristen. Don't even think that way! I promise you, this is what is best. When this is all over, we will be on top, but whatever card Victoria has up her sleeve, I'm going to get it. i know her better than anyone else and you know that! This is what is best. Best for you, me, the children... everyone."

Kristen looked away. Even though she wore the helmet, Tim could tell she was hurting. Over the years she had grown to hate even the sight of Dark soldier armor. It didn't even have to be on a person, it just had to be there. "Fine. But I don't want to see you wearing it." She pouted.

Tim shrugged, "Sure thing, Sweetie."

Beneath her thick helmet, Kristen blushed and smiled. "Well, Shade..."

The enigmatic man came back on screen.

"You were honest this time, but once this final plan of yours is completed, you are going to have to answer for a lot to all of us."

Shade gave the young woman a single nod then cut the transmission.

"Just like he has always been. Matter-of-fact and to the point..." cursed Kristen.

* * *

The hydraulic doors hissed open and 78 stepped into Dwight's holding cell. "Ready to go?"

Dwight looked to 78. "Mario must die. Molly will be avenged!"

78 cocked his head to one side and hoped that Dwight wouldn't snap. "Remember; he left you, but I will never leave you." he reached his hand out to Dwight. "It's time to go."

Dwight nodded and took his new friend's hand.

* * *

Mario smiled as he walked to his apartment. "Okay, a quick recap of the day." he murmured to himself, "Couldn't find Dwight; bad. Couldn't find 78; worse than bad. Called in for help from Shade; good. Found a minister to marry me and my Yuki; makes up for everything!"

"What makes up for everything, Mario?" Yuki wrapped her arms around a surprised Mario.

"You'll find out soon enough," He responded with a wink. Then he added, "Did you know that you are the only person that can sneak up on me?"

Yuki just laughed.

"It's true, no one has been able to surprise me except you!"

Yuki shook her head with a playful smile. "Let's go. I heard that there is some new discovery about splitting the atom for some kind of bomb or some such nonsense..."

Mario chuckled, "An atomic bomb? Yeah, right. Like that would ever become a powerful weapon..."

* * *

Tim stood up and began to shake his hands. He had just finished his 50 reps of 50 pushups. He never really paid much attention to math in exercise, but he knew that was a lot. Shade was running him ragged, but he knew that it was for a good cause. "What next?"

"This." Shade threw his Dark Soldier hood at Tim. "It's time to start your infiltration."

Tim huffed, "That's easy," he scoffed, "We haven't done this too often, but all the times we have done it, it was easy. It is always easy getting in; it is getting out that is the difficult part."

Shade shook his head. "You are not going to become any ordinary Dark Soldier, Timothy. This mission is more about trust and stealth and getting to the root of Victoria's reign."

Tim looked at Shade with a sideways glance. "What do you mean?"

"A few years ago, Victoria's Research and Development team produced a belt able to project a force field around the wearer. This force field is capable to support a single person in teleportation. This belt could allow teleportation to anyplace anywhere, any_when,_ in any dimension."

"Shit..."

"However, they lacked the determination and the technology to actually make a chip that would not only amplify such power for the device but be able to stably support the transport of a human and be able to have set co-ordinances." Shade paused. "Then a person in our Resistance made such a chip-"

"A. J..." Tim breathed.

"Yes. A. J. made the chip."

The realization struck Tim like 20 tons of bricks... "That is why Victoria hired the Dinkleberg! She wants that chip! She didn't want A. J. out of the way, she wants that belt to work!" Tim looked at the exercise equipment that was lying before him, "That is why you wouldn't let me go on the rescue mission, it would end up being too close to my mission." Shade had thought ahead, as usual.

"Exactly." Shade replied. "Victoria is in dire need of the chip. We need to gain that belt by whatever means necessary."

"Dire need? But why would Vicky want to go back in time or dimension-hop?'' Tim mused aloud.

"You know both her versions, I was hoping you could answer me that." Shade replied.

Tim thought hard. He tried his best to remember everything, every little detail. _Cosmo... Wanda... I need you guys again_. He hadn't called on them in a very long time, he was pretty sure that at some points he had stopped believing in them. But true to their designation, the green and pink stars appeared in his subconscious mind.

"It's Timmy! Hiii Timmy!"

Tim ignored the immature green entity and broke down what he needed: a full recollection of everything that happen the two days before everything went to hell, er, Victoria.

Wanda looked sad, "Oh, so you just want us for what we can do for you? You haven't even bothered to ask how we are, Sport."

Tim flared his nostrils. "This isn't the time. I am trying to fix everything, now is not the time for a hissy fit."

Wanda crossed her arms as best a star could, "Sorry, Timmy, but we are not allowed to help you in this matter. It's Da'Rules!"

"Da' Rules?" Tim wanted to explode, "'Da' Rules' are for a reality that no longer exists here! How long will you fairies continue to hide behind that stupid, stupid book?"

Wando hung her head, "I wish I could help you Timmy, I really do, but Jorgen von Strangle... You know, rules and laws and all... Besides, because fairies are unknown in this reality, we can't survive long here. No one here believes in fairies, not even Crocker!"

This was true and to Tim made sense. They were saving themselves from certain destruction by staying away. "Fine, then I don't need your help with this. Go away."

"But Timmy!" Cosmo shouted out suddenly, "You forgot about the second remote!"

Tim and Wanda looked at him like he was a fool. "What are you even talking about, Cosmo?" Wanda asked.

"Oh, I was just reading the question on Timmy's mind!"

"...You can read minds?" Tim wiped his brow.

"Yeah! Duh! How else would I know you are worried about Trixie! Congrats on finally getting with that, by the way!" Cosmo raised his hand for a high five. "C'mon, give it up. Give it up. Give it up. Give it... Okay..."

Tim ignored it and Wanda poofed him back into a star.

"Second Remote... Second Remote!" Tim's mind returned to the day he had wished for the TV remote all those years ago. He had wished for one and he was then grounded. His parents, being the strict but loving and clueless parents they were, had taken from him the magical remote. Not at all thinking about the consequences, he then wished for another one... and that was what Cosmo was referring to. "Cosmo! you are a genious!"

With that Tim left his fairies and his subconscious. "Shade!" Tim was back in reality. "I got it!"

Shade was rather taken a-back by Tim's sudden outburst after the long moment of silence. "What is it, son?"

"She wants to take from me the remote!"

Shade looked at him with worries eyes. "A remote?"

"Yeah!"

"As in a television remote control?"

"Mmhmm yep."

"Right..."

"No, Shade, you have to trust me on this... Listen to how this reality was created..." And Tim started the story from the beginning...

* * *

Remy's jet made touch-down just north of the bunker. In true gentlemen fashion, Remy helped Kristen, decked out in battle gear, out of his plane. "They will be here to pick you up soon." Remy said. "I must go now, I also have a personal mission to accomplish."

Kristen looked back at the man. He looked older than his years. His eyes had lost their laugh and his blond hair was going prematurely gray from the stress from his past. "Remy..."

Remy looked at her with his tired eyes, "Yes?"

"Please. Do take care of yourself?"

Remy's smile was weary and slow... but genuine, "I promise, I will." He got in his 'bird' and took to the skies.

And just like that Remington "Remy" Buxaplenty was gone. Kristen would never hear from or see him again. And somehow, at that moment, she knew that.

* * *

A/N: Wowwww ok so a very long update time, but its ok! The story is still here and moving along. I have been busy not just with school but with the story! Haa I am doing my best to make the final chapters of FUTURE LOST more best of the story ever! haha so tell me what you thinK? Read and Review please! It really motivates me even more to know what people think.


	15. Chapter 15

**-Flashback-**

Dwight approached Yuki. This was his first time being alone with her. Normally Mario was by this girl, but this time, he was no where to be seen. "Hey."

Yuki turned and smiled, "Hey, bud." She replied shyly. "What's up?"

Dwight plopped down on the rock next to her, "Couldn't sleep... Too anxious about the mission." He twiddled his thumbs and then sighed, "I mean, I don't understand what is so important about these few crystals. If we can't really sell this stuff to anyone because we are outlaws, what purpose do they serve to us?"

Yuki laughed. She had been the one to give the tip about Victoria's crystal mines on Vickstralia. It was a well-known fact that the gems were nearly priceless and worth a fortune, but what wasn't as well-known was the fact that many Dark Soldier energy weapons used the crystals as focusing lenses. "You see," She started, "The energy weapons that a Dark Soldier will wield in battle are actually quite weak in output. The long barrel contains two or three of the green blue crystals while a yellow crystal is embedded further in on the body just in front of the energy emitter." To make it plainer, the former Dark Soldier drew a cross-section diagram in the sand explaining all the inner workings of the powerful guns. "We aren't stealing these to get rich as much as we are stealing these to cripple the Dark Soldiers stationed on this continent."

Dwight understood. He understood why they were out in the middle of no where at midnight with limited supplies. He understood why everytime he tried to make an energy weapon, the output was less than favorable. But he also understood just what Mario saw in Yuki, "Wow. Not only pretty, but also intelligent. Rare find," He joked.

Yuki just smirked, "Hands off, kid. I'm spoken for."

Dwight smiled on the outside but frowned on the inside. This was the one reason Dwight didn't like Mario; once Yuki showed up the month before, she was not only in the Resistance, but she had replaced Molly in Mario's heart. He remembered staying up countless nights listening to Molly moan on and on that Mario was never really into her seriously and that he always was saving his heart for Yuki. _The girl he wasn't even sure was alive for the longest time takes priority over the girl who saved your ungrateful ass? It would be despicable if it wasn't so much like him._ But Dwight never showed his anger to Mario and even pretended to grow closer to the only boy. After all, as much as he hated to admit it, if it wasn't for Mario, the Resistance wouldn't have had a fighting chance.

"Well, thanks for the explanation, Yuki," Dwight turned to leave, "Just in tie, too. It seems your BF has returned to camp."

True enough, Mario was making his way back to soon as he was in the light of the synthetic campfire, he spoke, "Welp, that was no fun."

"What do you mean?" Yuki enveloped him in a sultry but short hug before she let him continue.

"To put it simply; mining doesn't stop at night." He crouched down and warmed his hands by the synthetic fire. "Dark Soldiers patrol the caves and outside the caves for nearly half a mile. They also have sentry turrets at-guard near every entrance."

"Near _almost_ every entrance." Yuki reminded him. The spring she had found when she escaped her brush with death so many years ago had been revealed to connect to their target. This was naturally why she was even on the mission.

"What's going on?" Molly finally appeared.

Dwight's heart melted. As much as he didn't like what Mario had done to her heart, he was glad she would be available. He watched as she wiped the sleep from her eyes in a cutesy fashion and then yawned. "Excuse you," he said.

Molly stuck her tongue out at the boy and reiterated her question.

"If all goes as planned, we will be attacking within the hour." Mario summed up.

Dwight cocked an eyebrow, "Could have sworn a minute ago you said that the place is guarded tightly by patrols of Dark Soldiers within a half mile of the place?"

Mario nodded, "This is true, but we will already be _in _the caves when we attack. Or have you forgotten about Yuki's secret cave entrance?"

Dwight didn't like the idea of going down in that cave... Something just didn't feel right. But he knew better than to voice his concerns. After all, he was known t be a worrywart at times.

"It'll be okay, Big D," Molly tussled his hair. "Besides, I've been wanting to see the beauty of those crystal formations for the longest time."

"They are gorgeous," Yuki reminisced. She turned away from the group and headed into her campsite to gear up. Others in the party also started the gearing up process except for Mario and Molly. Mario motioned for the girl to join him outside of the campgrounds. They had problems to discuss.

Once both were sure they were sufficiently far from the camp not to be heard, Molly started, "You love her, don't you?"

Mario was silent.

"Hey, it's okay. I completely understand the choice."

"You do, don't you?" Mario replied. "She was my first actual love."

Molly smirked, "And the past girlfriends you had don't count?"

Mario chuckled at Molly's joke, "Of course they do... Just... Not it the same way. Yuki is different. I don't know how, but she completes me." The two stood in silence for a moment before Mario continued, "I know this is kind of... hurtful to you. A girl who was an enemy and a factor in my past comes back and I immediately all for her again, but i can't help it."

Molly laughed, "Oh, Mario! You're being such a Drama King! I do like you and, yeah, I wanted to be with you, but... Happiness before wants, right?" Molly couldn't help but let a tear trickled down her cheek. "It's no biggie, really. I don't think it would have worked out between us... After all, did you see the looks Dwight gave us?"

Mario wiped the tear from her tender cheek and grinned, "You should see the looks I'm getting now that Yuki is here."

Molly rolled her eyes, "Oh, I can only imagine!" she responded in jest, "Sometimes I wonder whether he is actually fond of you or not."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two friends trying to repair their relationship, Dwight was watching from his tent. _He just can't give up, can he?_ He thought to himself. _Even when his old girl comes back, he still feels the need to play with Molly's heart! _His eyes squinted in the darkness. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he thought could read body language pretty well and from the shaking Molly's body was doing; she was crying._ Undeserving of leadership... He doesn't know the first thing about leading!_ Dwight crawled back into his abode and drifted into a fitful nap.

* * *

Molly finally calmed her laughter. Mario had just told her the funniest joke she had heard in a long while. And heaven knew, she needed the laugh. With her spirits high again, Molly breathed a deep sigh. It was as if a weight was dropped from he shoulders. "I can't believe you had to do that just to get some pizza!"

Mario finished his fit of laughter, "Ha ha, yep!" Another silent moment as the two began to wonder about the up-coming mission. "Molly?"

"Yeah?"

"I gotta know... are we cool?" Mario asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are we cool? You know; no hard feelings and such?" Mario stuck out his hand to shake hers.

Molly ignored his hand and just wrapped her arms around him. It would hurt for awhile seeing his happy face with Yuki; but she knew that if he was happy, she should be happy for him. They were friends. She was sure that from the moment she laid eyes on him, injured in the forrest, that they would be together. Granted this wasn't necessarily what she had in mind at first, but hey life's funny that way right? She knew that no matter what, even now that they were no longer a potential item, he would be there for her. Always. "Yeah," she responded nuzzling her nose into his neck lovingly, "We're cool."

* * *

One hour later, the entire team was ready. Molly, Mario, Yuki, Dwight, Lawrence, Jenny, and another girl named Sofi were all packed and ready to hit Victoria where it hurt the most: her power. "Let's go, team!" With that announcement and a wave of his gauntleted hand, Lawrence led his motley crew into the cave Yuki had shown them the day before. Once inside, every member switched from night vision to normal vision. And for good reason.

"These crystals are beautiful!" Sofi squealed. The light from the moon was filtered perfectly into the large chamber and reflected off the water and the crystals, easily illuminating the cave. "And you say the water is so pure and enhanced by natural minerals that it heightens awareness?"

Yuki scrunched up her nose, "Well, now that you say it that way and make it sound all... exposition-y; basically yeah."

Without asking permission, Molly and Jenny kneeled at the pool of water and took drinks. Lawrence didn't reprimand them. In fact, he, too, stooped to taste the water. And he loved it.

"Alright, pour out your waters and fill up here!" He could feel the natural liquid wash over his senses. His senses felt enhanced and his awareness more keen. His failing eyesight was returning. "This miracle water may come in handy at some point in the mission!"

Not being a group to disobey orders, especially such tasty ones, every member dumped out the fountain water they had received from base and filled their canteens up with this water to the brim.

"If this goes well, Law-man," Mario said to his brother, "Remind me to tell our scout teams back at the base to get an aqueduct to the base down here."

"I just put in the orders on standby pending the success of this mission." Lawrence was one step ahead. "Alright," His voice raised again as he addressed his team, "Move out!"

It didn't take too long for them to get to the main crystal deposit and things were looking sunny for the group.

"I still don't like this," Dwight complained. He was bringing up the rear, partly because he was scared and partly because he was carrying the B.F.G. "This has been too easy. You mean to tell me there have been no patrols down this way... at all?"

Molly shot Dwight a dirty look knowing that the young man was implying Yuki to be a traitor. "Oh hush. If we do get caught, it will be due to your constant complaining."

Sofi let out a giggle before switching her H.U.D. to a thermal scan. "There is a patrol coming this way... Larger patrol than normal. Dare say they have their men doubled now."

Lawrence and Mario both switched to thermal scan and saw the same thing. "They are coming our way..." Lawrence started, "But not because we are here. The urgency in their steps are in no way in sync with what we normally see."

Dwight took a seat near a crevasse, set down his giant weapon, and scanned the radio waves in an effort to tap into the Dark Soldiers communications. After listening for a mere two minutes he muttered, "I knew it."

"What?" Yuki turned to the seated boy. "What are they saying?"

Dwight rose suddenly and started to back up his stuff. "Their mining. It has awoken something down here."

"Something?"

"And it is angry." he put his hand to his ear again, "Something like a being comprised solely of the crystals they are harvesting and pure energy...crap."

"What?" The rest of the group exclaimed in unison.

"It's heading this way!" Dwight started to run off, but Mario's grip prevented him from getting far. "Now hang on there, squirt. We have a mission that we have to finish."

"Mario's right." Sofi agreed. "We don't know if this being exists and if it does, it shouldn't want to harm us. We are trying to end their mining endeavors!"

"Yeah..." Molly mumbled, "With sixty tons of explosives,"

"You think we should have brought more?" Jenny asked innocently.

"No! I'm just saying, maybe it is best that this creature dispose of the Dark Soldiers instead of us."

Lawrence placed a reassuring hand on Molly's shoulder, "We have to finish this mission. We can't leave this to chance. If the creature isn't real or is killed, then we will just have to come back here. And who knows how thick the security will be then?"

"I sure don't" Yuki said.

"So it is settled then? We move on to our doom?" Moaned Dwight.

"If you want to call it that, then yes. We are moving forward."

* * *

Tirelessly, the team moved on. Every-so-often they would have to duck into a pit, alley, or crevasse to avoid detection from Dark Soldiers. But aside from those moments, progress was stable and quick. "We're here." Lawrence breathed the words that the group longed to hear spoken.

"Who sets up the device?"

Sofi stepped up to the plate, "I do." She used a thick adhesive to attach the explosives to the base of the center mining column and began tapping in the start codes. "Everyone start clearing out, I'm giving us a time of 5 minutes to be out of the main blast radius." As her fingers flew over the panel, the others stood guard.

"Do you really believe that there is some energy being down here feeding off the crystals?" Molly asked Dwight.

"At this point, Victoria herself could fall from the sky and land at our feet offering us crumpets and I wouldn't bat an eyelash. We've experienced weirder things, haven't we?" He gave her hand a loving and reassuring squeeze before a blood-curdling scream echoed in through the caves. "The hell was that?"

"I don't know..." Lawrence switched to thermal view, "Sofi, hurry with those codes. I want that countdown started within the next thirty seconds."

"Aye, captain."

Gunshots and laser blasts rang out.

"Don't shoot lasers at it, you idiots!" An unseen Dark Soldier's voice yelled over the chaos in one of the caves, "It feeds off the energy!"

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to kill it we-eahhhgggggg!" Whatever protest that man had left was swallowed up in his screams. The flashes of light got closer.

"Sofi! start the damned timer, NOW!" Just as Lawrence finished barking at his subordinate, a pair of Dark Soldiers found them.

"Well, what do we have here?" One asked rhetorically. "Saboteurs?"

"Actually, no." Mario stepped forward, "We were called down here to fix your mining equipment. It's busted."

"It is?" The second Dark Soldier looked at the main column's frame. "Looks fine to me."

"No, you idiot!" The first one hit the second, "He was being sarcastic! It isn't busted!"

"It's about to be!" Molly shot the second man's head off with her shotgun.

"Bloody hell!" The first Dark Soldier barely fired three rounds before he was peppered with bullets from Lawrence's gun. "Sofi?"

"Nearly finished! ... DONE!" She stood quickly, "Let's get out of ... here."

Before them stood a creature completely made of pure energy. In the center of the creature's torso was a pink gem. It opened its "arms" and energy flew across towards them.

"Move!" Lawrence didn't need to make the command, though. The team had already split and dived. The energy struck only ground.

"I told you guys it was real!" Dwight unslung his B.F.G. and launched a barrage of bullets and bolts on the creature. The Bullets just whizzed through the apparition but the energy bolts were absorbed.

"You dufus!" Yuki shouted at Dwight, "Didn't you hear what those Dark Soldiers shouted about shooting it with energy?"

Dwight ignored her and continued to fire, directing the creature's attention away from his teammates.

"Dwight's buying us some time!" Mario shouted above the drone of Dwight's B.F.G. "We need to move; now!" The rest of the team followed Mario down the shaft they had entered. "We're nearly there." The group hadn't bothered being stealthy or clever. They knew that the Dark Solders were just as in a hurry to get away as they were.

"What about Dwight?" Molly asked as they neared the exit from the caves to their entry crystal chamber.

"He's right behind us."

Dwight had been able to set the gun on auto-fire and leave it between his team and the creature. He was running back to them, barely in sight.

As soon as the group was near enough to the giant crystal island, they stopped their running and drew in heavy breaths. "That was too close," panted Sofi. "Any idea what that was?"

No one got the chance to respond. _You invade my sanctum, destroy my home, _The strange voice was in everyone's head, _and then try to defy me and leave? I wont have it!_ The voice grew so loud, so powerful and angry, that every member doubled over and clutched his or her head in agony. If felt as if their minds were being torn apart.

Mario managed to program in a basic command to his helmet to direct minimal power to the external. The low constant surge of energy was just enough to kick the voice from his head. After realizing it had worked, he instructed all the others to do the same.

"Good job, Mario." Molly playfully punched his shoulder.

"Thanks,"

"Yeah," Dwight added with a hint of venom. "Good job and such. Celebrate, but it isn't over yet!" The words were barely out of his mouth when the ground was rent in two sections, effectively dividing the group. Mario, Dwight, and Molly on one side; Lawrence, Sofi, and Jenny on the other. Yuki was caught in the middle and fell into the fissure.

"YUKI!" Mario ran to the edge to find her barely holding on to a scraggly rock, "Hold on!" He went to his pack to retrieve a cord, but too late. Once he found one and turned around, from the center of the fissure came a large mountain. This pushed Yuki straight up and into the air above and into another level of the underground caves. Realizing it was futile to try and save her, or anyone else, Mario stood still and huddled with Molly and Dwight.

"What's going on?" Molly shouted above the noise of the shifting earth.

"I think it is those crystals, the thing can control them and since there must be crystal residue in all levels of the ground here, it can control the earth!"

Dwight didn't like the sound of that. _You are a lot harder to kill than the others._ Dwight didn't like the sound of that, either. The voice was back. "Why don't you come out and face us like a man?" Demanded Dwight.

"Poor choice of words, mortal." The ghastly fiend appeared before them instantly. "This is my domain! You are at my mercy!"

"What did we do to you?" Molly asked, "We haven't harmed you; we were here to end the mining operation, not aid it! How about you just let us go and-"

"No! You do not make the demands here! I do." The thing opened its 'hands' and energy shot out.

"Dodge!" The three jumped in separate directions. At the end of his roll, Mario briefly radioed his brother to see how things were on his end.

"We've managed to find a way out, but we have to climb. Sofi is already through the hole and Jenny's nearly there." Lawrence responded as quietly as he could over a communication device.

Mario breathed a short sigh of relief. At least three were nearly okay.

Molly held out her weapon and fired but the creature came closer. It slammed the earth beneath her and she fell. "Mario!"

Mario turned and saw the piece of land Molly was on was broken off and drifting away on a river of green liquid energy. That's when he noticed that he too was drifting away. The only one on solid ground was Dwight. "Dwight!"

Dwight reached out with his hand and a foldable polearm weapon and somehow managed to get a grip on Mario's island before it could drift further out. But Moly was too far out.

"Don't worry, Molly!" Dwight called out. "We'll think of something!" But he honestly had no ideas. "Mario?"

"Eh?"

"Please tell me you have an idea of what to do?"

"Well, there is one thing..."

"That is?"

"Duck!" he pushed Dwight's head down just as twin beams of searing energy blasted the earthen wall behind them. "Let's move." He checked the position of Molly's craft as he ushered Dwight behind some of the green crystal formation. Then Mario noticed something.

The creature came close to them, but as soon as it was within arm's distance of the crystals that hid them from view, the creature recoiled as if burned and the gem at its center flashed orange.

"That's it, Dwight!"

"What?" Then the pieces came together for Dwight, too. "I get it... It can't be close. Those crystals must mess with its energy flow and may break up his molecular structure!"

Mario nodded. "Probably why it kept this as a sanctum. At the right location here, it would be in perfect balance and harmony with the environment. The mining was throwing off his... inner peace so to speak." He looked again at Molly's island. She was doing her best to stop it from floating away more by trying to paddle in the opposite direction, but whatever she used as a paddle was just disintegrated on contact. "You get to Molly, I'll try and get the beast to touch the crystal." Mario kicked a thinner spike from the crystal formation and gave one piece to Dwight for good measure and kept the larger on for himself. "Get going!"

Dwight didn't need to be told twice to go to Molly's aide. With quickness of breath, feet, and heart, he was at the short of the green energy pool reaching with his polearm.

"You think you can catch her before she is swept away forever?" The beast threw a bolt of energy at Dwight, but missed.

"Hey! You think he is the bigger threat?" Mario called out, "You're a lot dumber than you look. Turn around and face me!"

"Gladly." The beast turned and rushed Mario, hands straight out. Suddenly it recoiled and wailed. Turning to the side, it narrowly avoided the crystal in Mario's hand. "No! What are you doing?"

Mario lunghed forward and managed to swipe the crystal through the creature. "It's called 'revenge.' Ever heard of it?" He swiped again, but the creature rose into the air and started to back up and over the green glowing lake. _Only got one shot at this._ With all his might, Mario threw the spike forward at the center of the creatue. Of course the creature saw it coming and easily avoided in by flying even farther back... into a much larger green crystal formation.

With a yelp followed by an unearthly yell, the creature started to fade from view and became distorted into what could only be described as a black hole. Inside the black hole was a city and people were walking in front of the hole, but no one noticed it. "What the hell..."

"Hurry up!" Mario's scream brought Dwight back to reality. He saw Mario working on pulling Molly's island closer to the mainland. But because of the black hole, the green liquid was starting to pull her away again, this time down a waterfall. "Hold on, Molly!" Dwight wrapped his arms around Mario's waist and together the two pulled against the liquid's current.

"This isn't working!"

Suddenly lasers began firing from the other-worldly apparition randomly about the cave. "Watch out!" Dwight released Mario and dodged an incoming laser nimbly.

The laser barely scorched Mario's back, but Dwight could still tell it stung because Mario released his hold on the polearm, and thus, the island.

"What is this place?" Mario's voice was far away.

"Mario! Dwight! Help!" Molly was screaming.

Mario just stood.

Dwight scrambled to his feet and managed to shake Mario awake, "Dude! Molly!"

"Somebody, help me!" Molly cried out. She was approaching the black hole, Dwight realized the black hole was actually a tear in the fabric of reality. If she were to pass through it she would suffer a fate worse than death.

"Mario! For Pete's Sake, wake the Hell up!" He slapped Mario's face and pointed at Molly,s drifting island.

In a flash, Mario grabbed a staff and reached out for her. Molly managed to use her repulser boots the get within arms reach of the polearm. But right when she was about to grab hold of the stick, a laser bored a hole through Molly's palm. She screamed in anguish at her ruined and and momentarily lost control of the repulser boots, smashing her island against a rock jutting out of the liquid. This prevented her from drifting farther, but also made were farther away from the shore.

Mario looked around and remembered Yuki had packed a small hovorboard. _If I could get to Yuki and get that board, I can get to Molly!_ "Dwight, stay here!" Mario instructed as he started to the last place he saw Yuki.

"I'll be back!" Mario called out to the wounded girl.

Molly just screamed more. "For Fate's sake! Make the pain stop!"

A bullet struck Dwight's shoulder. Pain shot through his body. _Who the hell was that?_ He turned and saw some Dark Soldiers rushing out of the caves. Apparently they heard the commotion but were blissfully unaware of the entire event. "Halt, rebel scu-ahh!" The first to were blasted by a wayward laser beam. The remaining three took cover and stupidly started shooting at the tear in reality.

"Stop it!" Dwight shouted at the three, "You'll just make is stronger!" He ran to where Mario was climbing and pulled the teammate back down the cave wall. "Got down here and help! They'll either hit MOlly or make that thing suck all of us up!"

"Dwight!" Mario shook the younger boy, "Dwight! You have to stay here with Molly!"

Dwight slapped Mario aside, "No! We can save her from the vortex!"

"Not alone! No we can't!" Mario shook his head, "I'll be right back; I promise!" And then Mario climbed up the cave wall.

Dwight looked around the room. Lasers were firing, Molly was trapped, Dark Soldiers were shooting, and whats more, the entire cave was under deep stress. Soon the chamber would collapse._ I have to do something. Anything..._ He looked around and saw his B.F.G. lying down on the ground. "Hey, Dark Soldiers!"

They paused their shooting for a moment and looked at Dwight. He was holding what could only be described as a minigun-laser cannon lovechild.

"Go to Hell!" Dwight opened fire on the three, killing them in mere seconds. _I know he said to stay put and watch over Molly,_ Dwight thought as he ran into the passageway the Dark Soldiers had emerged from, _But who knows? There may be a faster method of getting to here where they came from! After all, they wouldn't come down here without supplies, would they?_

Molly watched her friend run out of the room and her hopes dropped. She knew Mario had gone to get something to help. It wasn't in his nature to desert a team mate; especially not her. But now Dwight was running? Her hope started to fade.

* * *

"No, no!" Dwight frantically searched the Dark Soldier outpost for anything that could be of use. But all he could find were weapons and rocks. "There's got to be something here; anything! C'mon!" Finally he found a longer pole. With his rescue tool in hand, he ran back to Molly. As soon as he entered the chamber, he knew somehting had gone terribly wrong. The air was thinner and Molly was lying face down on her island.

"Molly!" Dwight rushed to the edge of the shore and jabbed his new pole forward for her to grab. He had to prod her back a few times before she stirred and weakly grabbed hold of the tip. "Hang on, Molly!" He shouted as he started to reel her in, "I've gotcha!"

Finally Molly was at the shore. Over the loud droning of the rip, he could barely hear her gasping for air. _The vortex is sucking out all the oxygen!_ then he remembered the rocks_. Hey... if the green crystal started this, perhaps the pink crystal can stabilize it just like it was the creature's heart!_ He stood up from Molly, "I'll be back! Don't worry!"

Molly gasped, "Don't leave me!"

Dwight looked around but Mario was nowhere to be seen, "Where is he?" Dwight asked himself. Then he turned to Molly, "I promise I'll be back, just hang on!"

"To what?" Molly joked weakly.

Dwight didn't laugh. Instead he ran again to the Dark Soldier camp.

Molly watched him leave and set her head down on the cold earth floor. She had a sad feeling she would not live through this experience. She needed at least a medpak, but everytime Dwight was near, he didn't give her the chance to ask for one. She coughed up blood.

* * *

Dwight found the rock he wanted in less than five minutes and ran back. If his theory was correct, these rocks contained an energy that was nearly identical with the wavelength that held the fabric of this reality together. If two of the different rocks were to come in contact, it would devastate the wavs and reality would collapse. As he entered the chamber again, his theory was reinforced; the pink crystals grew on the exact opposite side of the chamber from the green ones. "Here I go!" With nothing to lose, Dwight chucked the pink rock into the hole then ran to Molly.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Before Molly could reply, there was a crash and the noise and winds died down. The swirling vortex started to fade from view and tie itself up.

"Molly?" Dwight looked at her and then realized that she was very pale and was lying in her own blood. Her limbs were splayed out weakly. "MOLLY!"

The girl stirred and managed to prop herself up on her elbows. She looked into Dwight's face, "Huh?"

"We won!" Dwight cried out, relieved she was alright.

Molly smiled her beautiful smile. And then collapsed.

"Mo-Molly?" Dwight tentatively called to his love. But she didn't stir.

Molly was dead.

Suddenly there was a crumbling and a wall gave way under the stress of the now-ended event. Without thinking, Dwight ran to the exit crying bitterly. Outside Lawrence and Sofi were standing around Jenny, who was lying down holding her knee close.

"Dwight!" Lawrence called out when he saw the boy approach the exit, "Where's Molly and Mario?"

Dwight stumbled out of the cave. There was a person coming forward from another cave exit, he was carrying another person; female. Even though he remembered what he had just witnessed, a part of Dwight hoped it was Molly. It wasn't.

Mario came into focus carrying Yuki. "I'm sorry, Dwight..."

"Shut up!"

Mario didn't respond to the outburst, but set Yuki down. She was unconscious and there was a terrible gash in her forehead. "We were attacked by some rabid... cave-dwellers. Mario couldn't think of any other way to describe the creatures that had gone from lovable and cute to deadly and ferocious. "Let's get Molly now. Hopefully this board still has energy-"

"You don't even know, do you?" Dwight asked him boiling over, "Where were you?"

"I just told you we were attacked! Where were you? You should have been with Molly! you're supposed to be there now! But the attack has stopped so lets just get her out of there, yeah?"

"She's dead!" Dwight burst out.

* * *

Back at the Resistance HQ, Dwight had told everything that had happened. How he figured out what the black hole was, how he closed it, how he fought off the Dark Soldiers, and even how he used some of their stuff to figure out what to do.

But Mario wasn't happy, "You disobeyed."

"I did what I had to do and it worked!" Dwight shot back, "You're the one that failed here!"

"Did you at least once administer a medpak to Molly?" Lawrence asked quietly.

Dwight's heart plummeted. "No..." It was his fault.

Lawrence looked sadly at Molly's mangled body and broke down.

Dwight was crying biter tears and looked at Mario.

Mario shook his head, his eyes bloodshot from crying. "Why couldn't you have just followed what I had said?"

**-End Flashback-**

A/N: Woah! A year or so later I finally revive my story! What's the deal? Well, College got in the way among other things, but I am finally back and hoping to finish my EPIC story! So leave a response! I started the revival off with the flash back (This was going to be the next part of the story anyway so nothing has been left out.) But i did make it much more detailed and longer. I am hoping also new people read the story to give me a fresh opinion of it. Nothing in the story will change and the ending won't change either, I already have an outline written up and everything. But, in your review, if there is something you wish me to try and work in or something awesome you think is missing, comment on it and I'll see what I can do! :D Read and Review please!


	16. Chapter 16

Kristen Tang stalked through the jungle slowly. She was more at home in the concrete jungle rather than the living one/"Give me buildings and alleys any day over trees and mud and vines," she spat out her mild disgust for the environment as her machete slashed through a bunch of vines.

"You wont make much progress by cutting through the vines," A voice to her right said.

"Who the-?" She turned and faced a young woman about her age. She had a beautiful face and her smile seemed to lift Kristen's spirits.

"Now I can tell you're not from around here, and you aren't some sort of Dark Soldier," The young woman held her hand out, "My name is Yuki, you must be Kristen."

Kristen couldn't help but smirk beneath her helmet, "Yup, you are correct," She shook Yuki's hand, "Kristen Tang-Turner." Butterflies overwhelmed her stomach. It was the feeling she got every time she said her hyphenated name, acknowledging that she and Tim were... together.

Yuki's handshake died a bit and she retrieved her hand, "You are... married?"

Kristen tiled her head, "Yes."

"Lucky." Yuki moved forward through the brush easily and then beckoned for her new friend to follow.

"No," Kristen moved forward after her guide, "I'm the lucky one. Lucky enough to call Timothy Turner my husband." There was an air of pride in that statement.

Yuki laughed slightly, "Not lucky that you're married to him; lucky you're married at all." The two continued their trek through the dense forrest to the Resistance base.

* * *

Tim reclined in Shade's arial vehicle. His training was complete and now Shade, er, his father was taking him right to Victoria's doorstep.

Mr. Turner spoke, "You do realize it may take weeks or even months for you to get in as deep as we need you." It was more of a statement than an inquiry. "All contact with us will be cut off. Entirely. You will be 'deniable ops' and will have to operate solely on your wits."

Tim gave a nod of understanding. "Trixie."

"You can forget about her for now."

"Like Mom?" Tim's eyes narrowed, "I haven't seen her recently. Hell, I haven't seen her at all. You left your as well?"

There was an awkward pause.

"I did not leave her. She was killed," Beneath the grotesque headpiece, Shade's eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched tight.

"By who?" Tim's voice was quiet and saddened at the news of his mother's death.

"Dinkleburg." The growl was very familiar to Tim. How many times, in the other reality, had his father growled at the Dinkleburgs? This was identical, however under the circumstances this growl was scary.

"I'm...sorry."

"Hurm. Get ready and put on the rest of the gear. You are about to win your way into the Castle and the Program."

"How?" Tim looked quizzically at Shade.

Shade moved from the driver's cockpit to the rear of the vehicle and motioned for Tim to take over pilot duty. "We are going to give Victoria the one thing she will never say no to. A prisoner."

"What? We're going to turn in one of our own?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

Shade didn't reply. He simply looked at his son, the opaque lenses stabbing Tim's grey-blue eyes of experience.

The ride was silent the rest of the way.

* * *

"She's here," Yuki bowed to one side as Kristen, now without her helmet, strode into the midst of the Vickstralia Resistance branch.

A man well into his mid-thirties looked at her hard and she was sure he was the leader. To his left stood a younger man who could be the leader's brther. On his face was a lovely smirk and in his back pocket, a black beanie was hanging out. The younger man stuck his hand out readily, "If you haven't guessed by now, I'm the cool one."

Kristen had to laugh and shook the man's hand, "You have got to be Mario."

"My reputation precedes me!" He validated.

"More like your ego,"

"Meh," His smile didn't falter, "Close enough, Mrs. Tang-Turner."

The older man stepped forward and placed a rough hand on Kristen's shoulder, "My name is Lawrence, and we need to get down to business."

"Right-O," Kristen agreed. She pulled a tape from her belt and slid it into a slot attached to the television.

Shade's imposing outline came over the screen as the pre-recorded message began. "I will begin by telling you all the end is near. I can feel it. Victoria feels it. Crocker feels it. Things are about to change." He nodded to someone off-screne, "As you may know, Kristen here is married to the legendary Timothy Xerxes Turner and she has made quite a name for herself as well. Don't think he is here because of her husband's rather special case. She can more than hold her own. So wipe that bias off your face Lawrence, I know you will have one."

Lawrence shivered. Even through a pre-recorded message, Shade knew what was going on.

The message continued, "Despite all the years of delays, I can only pray that you are all ready for the final assault against the Vickstralia branch of Victoria's reign. The Tower and its Spires will fall. And you all will be the cause. I must warn you about new recruits and advise to not let any more people join the cause,"

Mario frowned and Yuki put a hand to her mouth. _Why the heck not?_ She thought, _We could use all the help we can get!_

Recently Vicky has revealed that she is no longer above trickery and even more underhanded tactics. She has most recently hired various bounty hunters to kill some operatives in Vondon as well as here in the NAA. I have sent with Kristen a to-do list of how to take down the Tower from the floating island Manana."

As Shade continued to outline the battle plans, Kristen unfolded a sheet of paper and handed it around, allowing each member of the Vickstralia branch to read and understand the message.

Shade finished his spiel and allowed the information to sink in. "I am sorry I cannot ask you live it you are ready, but you must be by this time."

"Born ready." Even though he knew full well that the screen couldn't hear him, Mario clenched his fists in anticipation for the coming war.

The video ended abruptly. There was no good-bye, there was no good luck.

"Well, lets get prep going, yeah?" Yuki was the first to speak and flicked the lights on. "Here," She took Kristen's armored arm, "Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the branch."

Kristen smiled, "I'd like that." She followed Yuki into the common room.

Mario was about to follow, when his older brother's hand stopped him, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Outside, you know... Yuki is my girlfriend and all."

Lawrence smirked, "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride the night before the wedding, you know. It's tradition to keep them in separate rooms." He added with a wink.

Mario grinned back, "I can survive a night apart from her loving embrace and-Hey! You know? How'd you find out?"

"Please," Chuckled Lawrence, "This is MY base. Nothing happens here that I don't know about." He put his tired arm around Mario's shoulder. "Now if this is going to be the first legal and legitimate wedding at this base then it becomes a sign of a new time. We got to do things right." He started to lead Mario to their rooms, "We gotta find you a tuxedo. But first, the ring."

* * *

Dwight was getting restless. How long had it been? Days... hours... perhaps mere moments. Bah! It was taking too long! "When do we strike?" Dwight groaned.

78 watched his pawn pacing the floor with amusement, "Not yet, we have to wait."

"For what?"

78 removed his feet from the table top and stood from his reclined position. "Wait for the best time to strike. We strike when the iron is hot and it is hot when they believe that what they are working for will be achieved. At their moment of greatest hope, we will strike."

Dwight stopped pacing and faced his ally, "I assume you have a specific time in mind?"

"I am the leader," 78 reminded his underling, "I wont tell you what it is yet, but do know this: it will make our revenge that much sweeter."

"_My_ revenge." Dwight corrected, "When it comes down to it, Mario's life is to be taken only by me."

78 sneered beneath his helmet, "Of course." He had no intention of letting Dwight, the soldier her saved and made, kill Mario. It wasn't in the game plan. And neither was letting Dwight finish the fight alive, but that was on a need-to-know basis and Dwight... didn't need to know. "Suit up," 78 threw a gauntlet at Dwight.

"We're going?"

"No. More honing. More training."

Dwight watched as 78 passed between him and the two wall-sized mirrors. His eyes tracked every movement his new hero made. He looked passed 78 and out the windows. Outside was the entire Dark Soldier Elite legion of Vickstralia just waiting and training. "Soon."

* * *

"Ow, quit shoving!" Mario pushed his older brother back against the wall playfully. He was surprised that he fit in Lawrence's old suit. Heck, he was more surprised that Lawrence even had a suit.

"Hey, calm down, baby bro," Lawrence jested back. "At least now we know that this old thing still fits one of us!"

Mario laughed, "True true!"

"Here," Lawrence handed Mario a ring made of pure diamond mined from one of the deserted Dark Soldier supply routes. "I was saving it to become a focusing ring for an energy blade, but my little brother's life is much more important."

Mario slipped the suit jacket off and took the ring, hands shaking, "You have... no idea how... much..." He could barely talk as emotions just hit him in waves. In a few short minutes he would be proposing to the girl of his dreams: Yuki. And in less that an hour after that, if she said yes, they would be wed in holy matrimony. Following the wedding would be the best honey moon ever: The defeat of Victoria's Vickstralia Tower. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

"...and milk just spewed everywhere!" Yuki finished her story and left Kristen in tears of laughter and fits of joy.

"Ho, boy! How long did it take for Mario's pride to revive itself?"

"Only a month or so!"

The two shared in another fit of laughter so powerful that they didn't notice Mario sneaking up from behind. "Surprise, Love." He wrapped his arms about Yuki's neck and nibbled her ear just the way she liked it. "Talkin' behind my back?"

Yuki smiled, "Of course! How else will I fill the void when you are gone?"

Mario released the young woman and shrugged, "Beats me," He pulled her a little more into the center of the Rec Room then held both her hands, "Yuki," he said after a sigh, "How long have we been together?"

Yuki's face contorted as she tried to remember when Mario first asked her out. "Officially, five... maybe six years." She leaned in and whispered, "Though I do like to count the time you saved my ass with those constellations at Ayer's Rock."

Mario looked down and blushed slightly.

"What's wrong?" Yuki asked, worried. She stooped a bit to try and look him in the eye.

"I don't know how to say this really."

Yuki frowned, "Are you... are you breaking up with me?" She felt her heart start to plummet.

Mario's head shot up quick, "Oh no! No! Heaven's no!" The look of relief washed over his girlfriend's face but the look of skepticism was still there as well. "Geez... this is harder than I thought." He looked passed Yuki at Lawrence who, unseen by Yuki, was pointing to his knee.

"Get down!" Lawrence tried to mouth, "Get down on one knee!"

Kristen slowly marched up to the leader, "What's going on here? Is Mario trying to propose?"

Lawrence didn't answer her question. Instead he snatched both her hands and got down on one knee, all the while never turning his eyes off of Mario. "Get the hell down!" He hissed.

Kristen, understanding now what he was doing, giggled, "I'm flattered, Captain. However, I'm spoken for." She removed her gauntlet and glove then pointed to the simple round band Tim had proposed to her with. Then she pulled it off and held it up for Mario to see.

"Oh!" Mario looked back at Yuki finally and had to chuckle. Her face was a cute mix of worry and confusion with a pinch of amusement, "Sorry, Yuki." He reached for his pocket, "Like I said; I ain't good at love stuff."

Yuki rolled her eyes, "Quit lying, Lover Boy." When she looked back at Mario, he was on one knee with a pure diamond ring thrust awkwardly but tenderly at her face.

"Yuki... will you marry me?"

The surprised female warrior teared up and looked around the room. By this time, all eyes were on this now famous couple. She knew already what her answer was but just couldn't speak or move. She just stood and stared. Finally an answer.

"Yes."

* * *

"Change of plans." 78 pushed past two Dark Soldiers and grabbed Dwight's hand, "We make our move now."

"Why the sudden urgency, captain?" Dwight asked with a hint of venom. He was starting to get the feeling that 78 really had no idea what he was doing. But he would play along with 78's plan. For now.

"Sources inside the base tell me they will be holding some sort of festival tonight before they attack. Something to usher in the new age of their 'freedom.'"

Dwight's eyes narrowed, "We must crush that hope."

"Precisely." He handed a map to Dwight along with instructions to be given to every squad leader in the legion. "Tonight we march."

"Tonight I kill."

* * *

Shade and Tim crawled from out of the flaming wreckage of their hovercraft. A proximity mine cut their travels short. Tim was surprised that he was even alive. "Dad? Dad!"

"I'm here, Tim." Shade replied. He stood slowly and helped his kin to his feet. "We have to keep moving on before-"

"Before what, Outlaw?" Two Dark Soldier Elites stepped out from behind a parked truck. Both of the leveled their weapons at the Turners. "Before we show up? It's a bit late for that."

"Should we call for backup?" The other soldier whispered.

The first eyed the two Turners. Shade was obviously not in the best shape of his life, his arm was cradling his side. Tim on the other hand seemed very fine if not shaken, but he was helping Shade, supporting him. Being his crutch. The Dark Soldier smiled beneath his helmet. "We got this." He opened fire.

"Lookout!" Shade pushed Tim to the side and both narrowly dodged the spray of bullets. "Got a plan?"

Tim shrugged from behind his hiding spot, "You're the leader, here! And my dad!" He pulled a low-powered pistol from him belt and returned fire. "Pretty sure you could still ground me if you wanted!"

Shade shook his head and pulled out pencil-shaped daggars. A lot of them. He threw a few at the enemy and even managed to get one injured, but his side-splitting pain was too much to bear and he had to stop retaliations. "Cover for me!" He started to run across to his son.

Tim stood and let loose a barrage of bullets. They all missed but it was just enough to get Shade across the street. Almost. A grenade split the father-son duo apart and rent a hole in the street. "We're toast..."

Shade looked to his son, "We have to split up!" He called out, "Get to the sewers, I'll set up a R-Zone for us."

Tim nodded just as another explosion veiled his father from view. "Dammit!" He ran. The hole in the street conveniently led to the sewer and he jumped down. Of course, one of the Dark Soldiers, the injured one, followed.

"C'mout, come out wherever you are," The enemy called through the dank cavern. "I know you don't like it down here anymore than I do."

Tim watched from the shadows as the Dark Soldier passed by his hiding space. As soon as the Dark Soldier was far enough away, Tim surprised him from behind, catching him in a headlock and putting the pistol to his head.

"Boo."

"Well-played, Outlaw." The Dark Soldier agreed, "But I'm not done yet!" He elbowed Tim in the side and then karate-flipped Tim into the sewer water. "It's over, Timothy." His boot clamped down on Tim's sternum and he held his rifle at Tim's forehead. "Any last words?"

Tim closed his eyes.

* * *

Mario watched as Yuki strode down the aisle looking as regal as a princess in her make-shift gown. He couldn't stop smiling. _Best. Day. Ever._ His eyes roved the attendees. There was not one person absent. Except Molly. But he knew that she would have agreed just as much as Lawrence did. Well, there was also Dwight, but Dwight was still alive. He would be rescued within the night just as the Tower would fall.

Finally Yuki was standing before Mario and Luigi, the minister, raised his old hands high. The two, for the sake of time, had opted to say their vows at a later date and skip right to the kissing. Though it was unconventional and not necessarily traditional, Luigi had said it would be fine. "Do you, Mario, take this woman, Yuki, to be your lawfully wedded wife till death do ye part?"

Mario grinned, "I do!"

"And do you, Yuki, take this man, Mario, to be your lawfully wedded husband till death do ye part?"

Yuki could barely contain her excitement, "I do! I do!"

"If there is anyone in the audience who has a reason these two should not be wed in holy matrimony, speak now for forever hold your piece."

There was a moment of silence as no one saw any reason the two would not be perfect together.

"Well then, I now pronounce you man and-"

"I do." the doors to the Rec Room blew open and in marched a familiar young man.

"Dwight!" Mario fought the urge to rush to his once-captive comrade.

Dwight's face turned from Mario to Yuki, anger steaming from out of even his ears.

"And your reason being?" Luigi was understandably confused.

Dwight narrowed his eyes and pointed at Mario, "Red Rum."

There was a moment of confusion and then the walls of the base blew down. Dark Soldiers poured in blasting anyone who tried to run. Many rebels stood and tried to fight back against the initial swarm but most were killed and many more beaten back.

Mario smashed his fist through a Ninja's faceplate and then used the Ninja's dagger to kill two more. He looked to Yuki, "We have to get out of here!"

"Ya think?" She pushed the minister away from the fighting and towards the best man, Lawrence. "Take him somewhere safe!"

Lawrence nodded and trusted Yuki and Mario to lead the Rebels in a statistic retreat. Their base was immense and there was plenty of room for a battle, but caught unawares like this severely crippled their manpower and willpower.

Mario killed one more as the rebels finally got it together and started the retreat, killing Dark Soldiers who dared to stop them. Before he disappeared behind Yuki into the secret chamber that would lead to the auxiliary armory, Mario looked back at Dwight.

Through the entire swarm, Dwight just stood there with his hand and finger outstretched, challenging Mario. Behind Dwight stood none other than 78 with his messily painted helmet hiding his face. Mario narrowed his eyes into the fiercest glare he could muster before slamming the blast door closed behind him. _Worst. Day. Ever._

* * *

A Dark Soldier Elite entered the Castle of his liege Dictator Victoria. His partner had foolishly been killed earlier, but it didn't matter anyway. As he walked with his cargo, other Dark Soldiers and underlings scurried out of his way in fear. Others just stared as he walked by, he was determined.

The final door in the Castle opened and before him stood Victoria, looking over the city named after her, stoic. "What is it 451?" She asked, somehow knowing his designation without turning.

The Dark Soldier did not speak, he simply tossed part of his load to her desk. There was a soft 'plop' sound as cloth met wood.

Victoria turned around, surprised he didn't speak. Then she was even more surprised at the sight on her desk: A pink baseball cape and a torn black shirt. Both soaked in blood.

"Where... did you get these?" Victoria grabbed the two items hungrily and looked at the soldier for the first time. She was again in shock. His throat was bloodied and she realized why he was not speaking. That would take a bunch of gene therapy to heal. But what really pleased her was the prize in his other hand: A thick rope. A thick rope that led to a prisoner being dragged behind him, unconscious.

The Dark Soldier Elite turned and kicked the prisoner forward roughly.

Victoria smiled. "It's a good day today."

Before her was the unconscious and now-humbled Shade.

A/N: I HAVE UPDATED YET AGAIN! So Yes, officially I WILL be completing this story! I am really sorry for not updating sooner but life just gets in the way :/ Dragonka is also updating his story but also not regularly. As we get time we update loll... But this will be completed! So please read and review!

Recap! Mario and Yuki ar about to be married but Dwight and 78 have interrupted! Kristen (Trixie Tang) is in Vickstralia with Mario to help take down the Tower and the Dark Soldiers there once and for all! Tim is missing and Shade is now a prisoner of Victoria!

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	17. Chapter 17

"Alright," Lawrence locked the blast door to the safe-rom behind him, "What the heck just happened?"

Mario hung his head, "Sorry about your tux, Law-man."

"Shut up." Lawrence growled, "How the hell did Dwight turn on us?"

"Maybe he isn't all evil? Maybe a-"

"No." Mario responded, "I saw the look in his eye... you didn't. He's changed. Not only that, but his body has... changed as well."

Yuki nodded, "Yeah, he's definitely put on a ton of weight and-" she went through some quick mental calculations, "-there is no way that he could have gained all that weight in muscle in the amount of time he was away from us."

"Really?"

"Well, not naturally."

"I see," Lawrence opened another door to access the hall for the armory. "If Dwight really has turned to Victoria's side, then we are definitely sitting ducks until we can get outside at least. He knows this base; he grew up here." He removed his leather jacket and the replaced it with a kevlar vest. "Arm up, people, Dwight's on the other side now. Shoot to incapacitate."

Mario removed a rifle from the rack at tossed it to Yuki, then he removed one for himself. "If we are going to fight Dwight and 78... we're going to have to think like them."

"That means we're gonna need more than just rifles, Mario."

"What do you mean?" Lawrence asked.

"I mean," she turned to her future brother-in-law, "we will have to return to a previous method of fighting."

"...and that is?"

Ben squinted, "I know what she means. Are you sure you want to do that though?"

Yuki turned to the younger rebel, "We don't have a choice. Look around at us!"

Ben and Lawrence did. The other rebels were arming themselves as best they could with as many things as they could. They were severely out-gunned and out-manned. Unfortunately, many of the rebels had broken away or gotten split up during the retreat.

Mario sighed, "You want me an' you to arm up Dark Soldier style?"

Yuki nodded, "Not just Dark Soldier style. Our tech is woefully out-dated..."

"Ad that mean...?"

Yuki sheathed a knife to her chest and removed her skirt. "We kill them, we take their armor."

Mario gave Yuki a poker face, "Eh, what?"

The young woman just rolled her eyes, "Just follow my lead." She stepped out of the safe room. Armed to the teeth. Ready to kill.

* * *

"Fate has smiled kindly on us today, Crocker!" Victoria, followed by her injured Dark Soldier 451, dragged the still-unconcscoius Shade.

Crocker turned from his ominous window and smiled, "A break! At long last!"

"And that's not all." She tossed to her surrogate father the two blood-stained articles of clothing. The tee-shirt and the pink hat. "Look familiar?"

"Turner." Crocker dropped the clothing at his feet then stooped before Shade, "It's over, Shade."He picked up and held the pink hat before Shade, teasing him, "Well? Any response?"

Victoria looked to the side. "You do know he's unconscious?"

"Oh," Crocker cleared his throat then stood up, embarrassed. "I knew that." He pointed to 451. "Take the prisoner to the holding cells."

"What?" Victoria questioned, "Why not kill him here?"

Crocker looked at her. "Because it isn't wise." He motioned for the Dark Soldier to take the prisoner again.

Victoria moved in front of Shade, blocking 451 from the prisoner, "Why don't we kill him now?" She demanded.

Crocker narrowed his eyes at her, questioningly. "Are you...questioning me?"

Victoria looked away then back at Crocker in his eyes, "Yes."

"Why? When have I ever led you wrong?" He placed a controlling hand on her shoulder.

Victoria looked to the hand, "You.. you never have."

"Good, then." He shook her shoulder just as a parent would a child in need of reassuring.

451 took the unconscious prisoner away.

As the Dark Soldier stalked off, Crocker turned to Victoria, "And be sure to get that one some medical attention. To know whether Turner is dead or not, that one will have to speak."

Victoria narrowed her eyes at the leaving Dark Soldier. "Understood, but until then, we assume the boy to be dead." She placed her arm around Crocker's neck, "Now, I have a proposal for you, Father..."

* * *

Yuki jerked her knife from the Dark Soldier Elite's neck and dragged the body into an enclave.

There was an audible crack and then Mario also dragged a dead enemy in as well. Within ten minutes they were both dressed up and ready to go for one last bout against the Dark Soldier Legion. "Just like old times?"

Yuki nodded, "Just like old times." She violently pulled Mario's head down and kissed him passionately. Behind her Kristen and Lawrence looked away.

"That's wonderful," Lawrence sighed, "Let's get moving."

Mario grinned beneath the helmet, "We are so getting through this."

* * *

78 sheathed and unsheathed his sword repeatedly, obviously on edge. "What's taking so long?" He cried out, he shot an accusing finger at Dwight. "You said that this wouldn't take any time! You gave my men the battle plan. What is taking so long? Why aren't those at the top at our feet begging for mercy?"

Dwight stood up and shrugged, "I gave them all the info, but this base is enormous. It will take time. There are so many nooks and crannies that they could hide in."

78 cracked his knuckles, "Well let's go in and prove that you are worth the money."

"Excuse me?"

"You really think that your... enhancement was free?" 78 scoffed.

Dwight chuckled, "Heh, glad to know I am not disposable and replaceable." He joshed with his ally.

"Well, not until we get a new grant."

"Har de har har." Dwight motioned and a dozen Dark Soldiers, Elites and Ninjas surrounded him and 78. "Let's go."

And the group descended into the Vickstralia Resistance Branch.

* * *

"Here, move that switch up!" Lawrence called of the gunfire thundering down the hall.

Mario did as he was told and urgently flipped the switch upright. After a brief creaking noise, the ceiling collapsed, crushing at least ten of the enemy soldiers at the end of the hall. "Let's move!"

The team stealthily but quickly moved down the hall. Kristen peeked around the corner. "There's at least a dozen down here, guys." She turned back to the team, "I'd suggest a grenade. Fast, efficient. Can stun the ones that don't get hit and we can take them out quickly and move on."

"Where are we going exactly?" Yuki piped up.

Ben responded, " Well, most of us are in Dark Soldier garb so I think if we head to the garage and rush out, we could pass as a troop?"

"Good thinking, Ben," Lawrence agreed, "That's the plan. But if we use a grenade down that way, then even more will be on the our position and probably our ruse."

"You have a better plan?" Mario asked.

"I do," Yuki kicked down a door across the way and threw in two grenades. As soon as they went off, she lined the door to the room with EMP devices. "Quick! Make yourselves scarce!"

The group hid themselves just as soon as the dozen of Dark Soldiers rushed around the corner into the room. As soon as they were through the door, the EMPs went off, totally shutting off all their electrical weapons.

"Let's get outta here." Whispered Kristen, "Before they realize it is a diversion."

"No need to tell us twice."

* * *

78 looked around the garage, "You really think they are gonna get out through here?"

Dwight nodded as he slit the final tire, "No doubt. Most likely their ruse of using Dark Soldier armor to camouflage worked... why aren't we informing the men that the enemy is disguised?"

78 smiled beneath his helmet, "I want Mario to feel the plan fail right when the end is in sight. I want to look into his eyes as his expression changes from cocky and arrogant to fearful and scared."

Dwight's face darkened, "Mario is mine."

_Keep telling yourself that._

* * *

451 tossed Shade into a holding cell.

Shade rolled over and faced the Dark Soldier, "You can't do this."

The Dark Solder stared back at Shade. The man was stripped of all his formidable and imposing armor and his brown eyes stabbed into 451's shielded eyes.

451 walked away slowly.

* * *

Dwight watched as Mario and company entered the garage. They had eyes on all points. Dwight turned to 78, "Now what?"

78 grinned, "We watch him sweat."

* * *

"Hurry and find a truck!" Mario hissed.

Yuki surveyed the closest vehicles. "The tires are slit."

"Gee, ya think?" Ben eyed more of the vehicles, "Let's check the over crafts." He moved toward the closest hover craft and clicked the power on. The engine whirred to life. "Success!"

Those weren't the only things out of his mouth. The words had scarcely left Ben's mouth when a bullet erupted from his trachea.

"Get down!" Lawrence let no moment of grief pass as he barked out orders. Immediately the team was hiding from the unknown gunman.

"Does anyone have eyes on the target?" Yuki called out impatiently.

A rebel shook his head then peeked around the jeep he was hiding behind, "No dice. Can't even tell if there is one shooter or more." He turned back to Yuki, "We're totally gonna have to smoke these guys out."

Lawrence punched in some codes to his arm band. The garage started to open to the outside. "Either way, we are getting out of here."

Mario swung over the door to a jeep and started the engine.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kristen hissed.

"Diversion." He started the Jeep and taped the accelerator down. He released the E-Brake and jumped from the jeep just as it shot forward in the direction of the shot.

"That wont do anything." Lawrence chimed in as he kept ticking away at his arm band.

"Oh yeah? And what are you doing, Law-Man?" Mario asked back. He clicked a trigger at his arm and the jeep exploded as soon as it crashed into a fleet of other vehicles.

"Let's move!" Another rebel ushered the team forward to another barricade.

"Hold back!" Kristen halted and stopped the ones behind her from continuing. A missile screamed before them, effectively cutting the group in half with a small explosion. "We need to get to higher ground."

In the other group, Mario called out to Yuki, "Stay safe! I think I have a feeling who is behind this ambush!"

Yuki thought for a moment. "78?"

"You know anyone else without the penchant for boom-y things?" Mario joked back.

"Mm trying to lighten the mood?" Kristen called over the com.

"Perhaps..."

"Well cut it out. If 78's here, his new lap dog will be here as well."\

"Dwight?"

"How'd you know?" Dwight jumped from his perch in the rafters and smashed into the concrete floor before Mario. "It's you an' me, pal!" He pointed to the young man with one hand.

Mario frowned, "Dwight. Dude, you don't want to do this. You're outgunned right now."

"My men are crawling all over this place." He thumbed a trigger. Explosions rocked the base and tore apart the garage. In the fire and smoke, Dwight's face looked almost demonic, "What did I say, Mario? Jus' you an' me."

Mario looked around as the floor cracked and fragmented. His team, on other parts of crumbling earth, fell away. He was alone with Dwight.

* * *

78 growled, "This wasn't part of the plan!" he hissed into his com to Dwight.

"Plans changed, pal." Dwight shot back.

78 faced the few remaining before him. "Take this!" His rifle poured out fire on the crowd before him.

Yuki and Kristen dodged to the side as Lawrence and another Rebel ducked behind some rubble. "We can't hide here forever," Lawrence called out.

Yuki nodded and threw a grenade to 78.

"Please," the grenade exploded before him but didn't even budge him. "This armor is thick enough to survive twenty of these eggs!"

As soon as the smoke cleared, he wished he had taken the threat more seriously. Yuki's armored foot collided with his helmet, knocking him over something, er, someone. Kristen had somehow snuck behind him and propped herself up. _Oldest trick in the book!_ And he fell for it. Literally. Lawrence's heavy body pinned him down. "Doesn't matter what you do." 78 grunted and diverted thirty percent of power to external.

Lawrence screamed for a moment then rolled off of his captive, twitching.

Before 78 had a chance to regain his position, Yuki tackled him into the depths of the base before the cracked floor.

* * *

Mario dodged another swipe of Dwight's gauntlet and returned with a stiff uppercut to the armored gut. The impact bent Dwight over. It was enough for Mario to shoot his knee into Dwight's unarmored face, knocking him back.

"'Red Rum', huh?" Mario struck a pose then unleashed a flurry of punches.

Dwight did his best to block them but still some snuck in. Finally came an opening. Dwight kicked for Mario's knee and the foe buckled. With Mario temporarily off balance, Dwight used a palm thrust to knock Mario back into a channel of water.

"No where to run, Mario!" Dwight jumped and landed before his prey.

Mario looked up as Dwight leveled an arm-mounted rail gun at him. "So you're gonna kill me right here, right now? With that?"

"Oh no, no." Dwight replied, "I've got a more... humiliating and brutal end in mind for you."

Mario smirked beneath his helmet, "Welp, you're gonna wish that you did shoot me." He kicked out Dwight's feet from under him and then dove into the deeper end of the channel, swimming with the flow of the water.

"Trying to run, Mario?" Dwight called out as he righted himself. "You're only prolonging the inevitable!" He dove after Mario.

* * *

78 watched as Dwight deserted him for Mario above in the channel. _Idiot_. He turned his attention back to Yuki, but she was on the retreat, running away. "Ha! Come now, 1290!" He called her by her Dark Soldier number, "Surely you still have some venom left? Or did Mario suck it all out of you in bed?"

Yuki's eyes narrowed as she heard the taunt. "I'm gonna mess him up so bad-"

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

78's amplified gravelly voice echoed through the remains of the base's ground sublevel.

"Over there," Yuki whispered as she tossed a rock across from her. The rock bounced off of the half-metal wall and grabbed 78's attention.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." The hunter sang out. "Games like this never end well."

Yuki unholstered her pistol and spun around the corner. She fired for 78's head and missed. Instead, the bullet ripped through 78's antennae.

"Dammit, Yuki!" 78 spun around and instinctively opened fire at the spot she had been standing. But she as no longer there. 78 flicked a switch at his chest and his helmet sent out a supersonic blip. Moments later the blip returned giving him a near-accurate picture of his surroundings in the dark. According to his echolocation, she was running away. Again. _Here I come._

If he couldn't get to Mario, he'd get to Mario though Yuki. The next best thing.

* * *

Victoria walked into the med-bay and approached 451 with a smile. "I have to say," she purred, "I was having quite a rotten week until you showed up, 451. Where have you been in all my life?"

451 didn't respond. Partly because his neck was covered by a thick collar to repair the damaged tissue on his trachea. Most likely suffered from his fight with the Turners.

"Did you know that Timothy Turner and Shade are related?"

451 turned to his liege in surprise.

"That's right," Victoria smiled and cuddled with the underling. "Shade is Turner's father." Victoria looked at the Dark Soldier and could tell by her expression that he was curious as to how she knew. "Oh well, it wasn't that hard. You see, I created this time. I created," she stood up in wonder and smiled, "All of this."

The Dark Soldier squinted and shook his head.

"Oh," she crouched down to the Dark Soldier like a mother crouches to a child. "I know it is hard for you to believe, but that is why I am the leader and you," she patted his masked head, "Are the soldier."

"Victoria!" Crocker's voice boomed through the med-bay. "What are you telling him, sweetie?" His voice now back to normal.

Victoria spun around like a drunkard. She was grinning like a cat that had devoured a canary. "Can I not be happy for the capture and death of my two most hated adversaries?" she moaned.

Crocker narrowed his eyes.

"Have you given any thought to my proposition, Crocker?" She asked.

"Yes," He handed her a file, "I have to decline it."

"What?" She was taken a-back, "Wh-why?"

"A secret Dark Soldier task force directly under your leadership? i really don't think that that is... the best course of action." He took her hand with his and squeezed it. _She looks so sad__, _he noted.

"But it's foolproof... I deserve this!" She struggled to fight back tears as her newest project was rejected by her shadowy advisor. "You have to let this through! We are so close to beating them! Timothy is dead and Shade is in our custody awaiting execution!"

"No... Timothy is presumed dead but there is little proof of his demise and Shade.. he cannot be killed yet... He will be seen as a martyr. And you know how that goes. We would have to wait to kill him or else more will come."

Victoria sulked into a chair by 451's bedside and just sat there.

Crocker smiled behind her and walked out, _Crazy-ass child_.

Unseen by Crocker as he left, Victoria smiled and her eye twitched. She looked at the plan for the new section of the Dark Soldier branch and something in her eyes snapped. "You're right, 451. It is my time."

* * *

Mario surfaced in a cave. _The_ cave. The crystals were a dead give away. In the months after Molly's death, the Resistance set up an aqueduct to channel the water to their base. Performance of their member at least tripled in the first month. But nourishment isn't why he was here. He had to get out and set up quickly. Dwight would be there soon and ready to pick a fight.

"I just have to get the that safe house." Mario wadded to shore as fast as he could then beelined for the next cave. But he was too late. He could hear the splash of someone surfacing in the water behind him and then the hiss of a rocket being fired. The cave entrance was just before him, but he wasn't fast enough. His escape route was blocked off by debris and rocks. Falling rocks.

"Going somewhere?" Dwight wadded out of the water, out of breath but furious. "Like I said, Mario: It's just you... And... Me." He leveled his pulse rifle at Mario and fired for the head.

A/N: WooHoo okay so this chapter is done! I know you all must be wondering what happens next and what happened to everyone else? Like where is AJ and Tootie? Well, they are coming up in the next chapter! So far everything is going well and according to the timeline! Just please read and review :/ It means a lot to know that this story is still being read and enjoyed by people.

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